


We Are Warriors

by ElhiniPrime



Category: League of Legends
Genre: (Some are not mine!), F/M, OC heavy, Two Minds One Body, multiple OCs - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-07-08 05:50:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 55,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15924176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElhiniPrime/pseuds/ElhiniPrime
Summary: For most, League is just a game. For us? It's a way of life...more than you can imagine. Some despise us, some love us, some hunt us, some protect us. But one thing is all the same. We all are Warriors.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is somewhat part of a series that I have on Fanfiction.net. I just had friends pressuring me to post it here. This is the actual story rather than character arcs. The story focuses on the concept of a "Chosen" which is a fusion of a League Champion and a human 'child' from Earth. The main, and first Chosen, is Cira, who is Leona's Chosen. They've been hunted by a mysterious organization wanting to either end them or get them off of earth, it varies.

Chapter 1

_I suppose, looking back, I should have expected it to turn out this way. People like us aren't exactly allowed to have peace. The League was an escape for us. For some, it was just a game. For us? League was a way of life. I don't mean the fact that we were addicted or anything like that, no far from it. It literally is our way of life. We chose to have a second chance at life, to have a better chance at life, to make our lives different, to bring a change. We were given that chance, and because we were selfish in wanting to stand instead of lying down and giving up, we were hunted. We are still hunted…_

_But…that doesn't mean that we aren't allowed a ray of hope._

Vesper skipped into the room, her little dress flaring about her in a cloud of soft gold and pink, like the dawn sky.

"Hi, Mrs. Star!" she chirped, waving as the older woman smiled back.

"Morning, Vesper," Star started, looking up from her work, "Everything ready out there?"

"Mhmm! Daddy looks nervous…but happy too!"

"I bet he is," Star smiled before returning to her work, "You know, I was expecting  _me_  to be the first to have kids…"

A soft laugh came from Cira, who was letting Star work on her hair.

"You know how I always wanted to be a Mom," Cira smiled, the room seeming to light up as Vesper came and crawled up onto her mother's lap, "Now I've got this little munchkin,"

"I'm not a munchkin!" Vesper giggled as Cira tickled her daughter.

"You're right, you're a hobbit!" Cira grinned.

"Noooooo! Maaaamaaaa!" Vesper squealed, finally squirming out of her mother's hold.

"Go see how your daddy's doing," Star told her.

"Kay!" Vesper smiled, a portal of pink and violet light opening and she hopped through.

"How in the world do you keep track of her?" Gwen asked as she walked in.

"Very carefully," Cira deadpanned as Star finished.

Cira stood, smiling softly as she looked at herself in the mirror. She saw her mother's reflection come up behind her and hug her from behind.

"I'm so proud of you," Gwen told her, watching as the red-blonde reflection of her daughter suddenly turned into a red-haired woman, making Gwen chuckle, "Both of you,"

Cira gave a soft laugh as her eyes shown gold.

"I never dreamed this day would come," Leona said, touching the mirror and admiring Star's work, "Weddings were rare on the Mountain, not many lived that long so relationships were…"

The Radiant Dawn's cheeks flared a faint scarlet as she bowed her head slightly.

"Don't worry about it," Gwen told the Champion, squeezing her shoulders reassuringly, "I suppose you will have one there too?"

Leona nodded.

"My parents would have a fit if we did not," she told her as her eyes flashed back to blue and Cira looked at her mother.

"Is it normal to be scared?" she asked.

"You of all people," Gwen chuckled, "Honestly, I thought you would have gone through worse,"

Cira shook her head.

"Tangling with Baron Nashor or a fed Vayne is less scary," Cira deadpanned.

There was a knock on the door and Cira was quickly hidden by Janie and Star while Gwen went to the door and cracked it open.

"David!" Gwen smiled, opening the door a bit wider as Arthur's father came into view, "How is he?"

"Nervous, afraid he'll say something wrong or fall on his face,"

"He thinks  _he's_  going to fall on his face?" Cira laughed, "He's not the one wearing  _heels_!"

David Jonson gave a smile as he caught a glimpse of Cira.

"You…look absolutely  _radiant_ , Cira," he told her, getting a blinding smile from her.

"Well, it  _is_  my title…" she reasoned, "Can I ask what you're doing here? I mean…at this moment,"

The older man smiled.

"Arthur wanted to hear your voice before the whole thing started,"

Cira nodded.

"I like that idea," she told him, starting towards the door and waiting just inside the threshold, "How far away?"

"He's at the end of the hall," David told her, "Don't worry, I made sure he won't see you. Bad luck,"

Cira chuckled as she put her back to the door and felt a hand gently fold around hers.

"Hey," came Arthur's voice.

"Hey," Cira replied, closing her eyes contentedly.

"Scared?"

"Terrifed. You?"

"Same. But, more excited I guess,"

"I agree," Cira laughed as he stroked her hand with his thumb, "Today is a good day,"

"That it is," he replied.

Both Chosens closed their eyes, contented smiles on their faces. There was the faint click of the camera as someone snapped a picture of the sweet moment. There was a faint sparkle of light as Vesper popped out of a portal and skipped to her parents, hugging them both.

Another click as the two parents hugged their daughter and someone got another picture.

"It's time," David told his son.

Arthur nodded and squeezed Cira's hand one more time.

"I'll see you soon…both of you," he smiled.

"See you," Cira returned as Arthur walked back out into the hallway.

"Last touches," Gwen said, "Vesper, you got what I asked you for?"

"Yes Gram!" Vesper chirped, holding out three objects.

"Thank you, Stardust," Gwen smiled before turning to her eldest daughter, "Alright, so. Something Old…this is was your great, grandmother's necklace…your gram and I found it in her hope chest,"

She gently fastened the golden chain with scarlet gems and gilded flowers around her daughter's neck.

"Something New," Janie quoted, "I got these for your hair,"

She presented little sunflowers and brown-eyed susans and started threading them into her sister's long, red-blonde braid.

"Something Borrowed," Star said, giving her best friend a golden bracelet.

"What you wore to your wedding last winter," Cira blinked, "Where I was your maid of honor,"

"And now I'm yours," Star grinned, fastening the bracelet.

"And Something Blue!" Vesper chirped, bouncing on her tiptoes as she handed her mother a single blue lilac blossom to put in the bouquet.

"Now…you're ready," Gwen smiled, hugging her daughter, tears starting to stream, "But first…here, let me take a picture of all of you beautiful girls,"

Cira smiled, brightly as one eye flared gold and the bridal party and flower girl gathered for a picture. Gwen quickly snapped the picture, wiping the tears away as Cira hugged her back.

"Thank you for everything, Mama," she whispered.

* * *

The church was beautiful, the stained glass windows are huge and throwing multicolored shards of light upon the floor. The place is packed, people dressed up nicely amongst flowers strewn about the floor and pews. At the alter stands a pastor and next to him stands Arthur, tall, proud and eager if not a little nervous.

He watched with bated breath as the doors opened, letting the bridesmaid, groomsman, Best Man and Maid of Honor come through. Star, accompanied by Mark, was dressed in a long, dusty gold dress that looked more akin to something on a Greek statue as her dark hair was done up in a ebon bun. Janie followed, accompanied by Eric, dressed in a wine-colored gown in the same style as Star, her red-blonde hair flowing in gentle waves down her back.

Arthur gave a smile as the doors opened again and Vesper skipped out, a brilliant smile on her face. Her long, light brown and violet-orange streaked hair fluttered down her back, accented with a single gold charm that tied it in a loose ponytail. Her little hands reached into the white basket as she scattered almost luminous golden petals on the floor. She got up to her father and hugged him.

"You nabbed some fire blossoms from Targon didn't you," he teased.

"Roses are  _boring_!" Vesper chirped, skipping up to Star and standing next to her.

Arthur shook his head in amusement…right as the sound of a cello sang through the sanctuary. The congregation stood…

The doors swung open one last time.

Arthur stood, absolutely stunned as the sunlight streaming through the windows seemed to coalesce…forming a young woman dressed in white. Her long, red-blonde hair was done up in a braid woven with sunflowers and brown-eyed susans as her gown trailed behind her as if mist.

She caught sight of him and gave a smile that made even the sunlight look dark. She made her way to the alter and stood before her fiancé.

"It's not supposed to be the groom who cries," the preacher joked, getting a laugh from the gathering and from the couple as Arthur swiped at the tears of joy, smiling as he did.

"Eísai aktinovólos," the groom whispered, one eye golden, the other blue.

"Eísai ómorfos," the bride responded, her eyes the same as his.

They locked hands and smiled as he brushed the veil rom her eyes.

"Dearly beloved," the preacher started, "we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of this man, and this woman in holy matrimony,"

He looked at the two lovers and smiled.

"The union of husband and wife is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given each other in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord." He told them, "Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God."

He turned to the congregation.

"Into this union, Cira Bryanne Noble and Arthur Matthew Jonson now come to be joined," he called, "If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed…speak now or forever hold your peace,"

_CRASH!_

* * *

The glass windows shattered, sending colored shards over the congregation.

"Mama!" Vesper yelled, rushing to her mother and father as Cira gathered her in her arms, holding her close.

Arthur put himself between the flying glass and his daughter and fiancée, the shards pelting his back. There was a loud boom as the doors were kicked down and heavily armored, and armed, men swarmed through both window and door, leveling guns at the couple. Arthur whirled around, arms spread in a protective stance before his bride and daughter, eyes glimmering with a faint gold, a low rumbling came from behind as Cira put Vesper behind her.

"Cira Noble, Arthur Jonson, Vesper Noble, Mir Marama, Mya Grace," one of the men growled as Mir and Mya slowly straightened from being showered with glass, "Come quietly and no one else will get hurt,"

"This is a house of God!" the preacher protested, "You cannot!"

A shot rang out and the preacher grunted, falling to the ground in shock as a wet stain started spreading through his leg.

"Next one goes higher," the man stated, "Anyone else want to protest?"

"Yeah,  _us_!" Arthur snapped, "For  _God's_  sake have you no honor? Or sense of decency? This is a  _wedding_! A  _happy_  time!  _No_  we aren't going with you! You and your Hunters can erre es korrakas!"

"Arthur!" Cira warned, putting her hands over Vesper's ears.

"Not the time, dear," Arthur growled.

"If you won't come quietly, then we'll have to resort to some  _persuasion_ ,"

"Persuasion…" Cira whispered.

The men swarmed into the congregation, dragging people out of the pews and into the aisles, beating the guests, tackling them to the ground…

"Stop!" Cira cried.

But they didn't listen, continuing to beat the screaming guests, barring the doors so that no one could escape. They grabbed Gwen by the hair and dragged her into the aisle, there was a faint click…

Suddenly, the man who had pointed a gun at Gwen found himself flying into the air, hitting the high ceiling with a dull thud before falling back to the earth and not moving. Gwen looked up just to see the inside of a large, gold and scarlet shield over her, glowing brilliant gold with solar radiance.

"Cira…" Gwen whispered.

"Mama,  _run_ ," Cira growled, standing upright as a long, sharp, gold and scarlet broadsword began to materialize in her right hand, "And don't look back,"

She looked at Mir.

"Párte ti Mágia kai tréxte,"

Mir gave a blink of shock, but with a golden look from Leona, nodded, grabbed Mya and disappeared in a flash of silver moonlight.

"After them!" the leader snapped.

"Nope!" a child's voice chirped, "Sleep!"

A translucent ball of light popped over them and the men fell asleep, stellar butterflies winging around them. A circle of green light blazed around them and suddenly there was a scarlet light amongst them. The Artisan of War tore through the men as a wolf through sheep, Leona took a deep breath and held her blade aloft.

_"Aftó pou mou dínete, epistréfo eléfthera,"_  she began.

Her blade began to shine with an ethereal glow.

_"Yperaspízomai tous athóous, prostatévo aftoús pou den boroún na prostatefthoún."_

Pantheon roared, charging forwards, slamming his shield into one soldier and lifting him into the air.

_"Eímai i Éleos tou Íliou, i Eklektí tou,"_

Zoe created little stars, hurling them at her attackers, putting them to sleep and dodging through portals.

_"Eímai avathís se aftí ti gi."_

Leona opened her eyes, their golden irises luminous and actually spilling light through her lashes.

_"Afíste to fos tou na kaíei ton aseví se téfra kai afíste tin alítheia na lámpei gia pánta perissóte-"_

She stopped, her core pulsating, an uncomfortable tightness in her throat as she looked at the scene before her.

One of the luminous golden eyes turned a startling silver-blue as Cira balanced in. The Champion and her Chosen stayed absolutely still. All that could be heard was the faint thrumming of what was thought to be a machine's core.

The men stood before the Radiant Dawn, battered and bruised from their scrape with Zoe and Pantheon. But it was the fact that they all had guns pointed to the Artisan of War and the Aspect of Twilight's heads that had made Leona stop.

"Drop your weapons," the leader ordered.

"Cira  _don't_!" Arthur yelled, "We'll be fine! Don-!"

He grunted as one of the men pistol whipped him.

"Daddy!" Vesper cried only to screech as one of the men twisted her arm harder.

Cira could hear the creaking of her daughter's bones and she started forwards...only for the men to bury the muzzles of the guns deeper into their targets.

"One more inch and they die," the leader threatened.

A low, metallic growl rumbled from Cira's chest. As fast as she was…there was  _no_  way she'd be able to reach both her fiancé and her daughter. With eyes spitting sparks…

The golden shield and sword clanged to the ground, their glow sputtering and fading, rendering the metal completely dark.

"Let them go," Cira said.

"That wasn't part of the deal," the leader stated.

"Wha-"

There was the smell of ozone and a harsh zapping sound made itself known as a jolt of energy rushed into Cira's system. Her projector sputtered as she gasped, her eyes glowing neon blue and gold. Another harsh zap…the energy didn't bring a 'wake up' feeling anymore…this was  _pain_.

The projector glitched again as the men tackled Cira to the ground, repeatedly jabbing the cattleprod into the space between her armor and her neck. The woman howled, her body spasming in agony as her fiancé and child could do  _nothing_  but watch.

They stopped as the projector settled into a horrifying half-normal, half-Project look, bits and pieces looked like Cira as human and bits looked like Cira as a project. Cira's body seized…but she had the strength to reach to her fiancé once again…before every single circuit went black.

"System overload…guess we were right about that," the leader hummed.

"YOU BAS-" Arthur roared, thrashing before he got the butt of a gun to his head, knocking him out.

Vesper shrieked, trying to get loose, but she received the same treatment as her father.

"Take them to the base," the leader ordered, "They'll be useful if we don't off them just yet,"

"And Miss Grace and Miss Marama?" another man asked.

"We'll find them soon enough. I doubt that they'll be able to hide for long,"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who might be a tad confused, the PROJECT skins, at least the Overdrive Initiative, are what the Chosen looks like on Earth sans the white hair. Viktor created the Projects rather than it being a separate universe thing and is responsible for all three Initiatives. Overdrive PROJECT Chosens look like the Project skins, but it's hidden by a hologram projector. Disruption and Hunter PROJECT Chosens look somewhat normal, but there are bits and pieces of them that are machine rather than flesh and blood.

Chapter 2

_What is a Chosen? Well for one, we aren't monsters as they paint us to be. We are a bridge between worlds, between Earth and Runeterra. We are bound at a soul level to a single Champion of the League. Sort of like their Avatar. Except for the fact that whatever world we are on determines our form. A Chosen would look like their pre-Chosen form on Earth, but their Champion on Runeterra. Some of us are bound differently than others. Some of us are so changed that it is impossible to tell us from our Champion, the Project Chosens are much like this. Some of us are mere vessels for the Champion, which is quite evident in Shadow Isles Chosens. Some of us have one Champion, some of us have multiple such as Kindred. But we are all more than human. And that is why we are feared._

**System reboot: Commencing**

**Audial Sensors: Online**

**Optical Sensors: Error**

**Core: Stable**

**Processor: Stable**

**Motor Systems: Error**

**System reboot: Complete**

**PROJECT: DAWN Online**

"…ra?" a familiar voice asked.

"…Arthur…?" she murmured, casting her head around to try to find him…

But her vision was still dark.

"I can't see you…" she whispered, groping in the darkness, "Where are you?"

"I'm right here," he told her, grabbing her hand and squeezing gently, "What do you  _mean_  you can't see?"

"It's dark…is there no light?"

Arthur's blood ran cold. The room was harshly lit and Pantheon had said there was a strange feel about it, like it was sapping his strength. Vesper was still asleep, a large, nasty looking bruise blooming on her forehead. Cira was definitely looking at him…but it seemed more like she was looking  _through_  him. They turned off her eyes…how was that even possible?

Cira tried to stand, only for her to get hindered by the heavy, industrial grade chains shackled to her wrists and ankles.

"…Chains?" she blinked, blindly feeling for them.

"Big ones," Arthur nodded, "Each link's as thick as my wrist,"

Cira was silent, touching the links with her glitched out hand/servo. She looked at her fiancé.

"Vesper?" she asked.

"Asleep," Arthur told her.

Telling her that their child had been hurt and had a nasty bruise probably would not be the best idea.

"…Can I hold her?"

Arthur gave a smile, slowly and painfully getting to his feet before walking over to where Vesper was curled up and gently picked her up.

The little girl's eyes fluttered open.

"Daddy?" she asked.

"Hey, Stardust," he smiled, carrying her over to her mother, "Look who's here,"

Vesper blearily looked up as Arthur put her in Cira's arms.

"Mama!" Vesper cried, hugging her mother and sobbing as Cira blindly kissed the child's hair, rocking her back and forth.

For now…they'd have to stay put.

* * *

A chill ran through Dianne's being as she sat down at the table. She looked up at Nick, who was just draping his coat over the chair.

"Oh come on…" he sighed.

"It's not a Mark," Dianne reassured him, "But it feels like it could become one,"

"We've been planning this dinner for  _months_ ,"

"I'm not going anywhere," Dianne reassured him, "Death is taking a holiday today,"

Nick gave a smile as he sat down and held Dianne's hands. The couple looked at each other happily as they waited for the waiter to arrive.

"What are you looking at?" Dianne asked.

"Something pretty," Nick shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck.

"…You've been taking lessons from your brother and Arthur," Dianne teased.

Nick's face turned red in embarrassment while the waiter came to them, not letting Dianne be able to tease him further. Drinks and meals were ordered, everything was fine.

"You heard anything from Cira?" Nick asked.

"I know that her wedding was yesterday, but other than that, nope," Dianne admitted, "I couldn't make it to the wedding, was in matches all day and then was taking a lot of Marks after. I bet she's happy now. She and Arthur are good for each other. They'll be a good husband and wife team…and Vesper couldn't have asked for better parents,"

"Agreed," Nick nodded as the waiter brought back the drinks, saying it'll be there soon.

"How is Anthony doing?" Dianne asked.

"Doing Anthony things," Nick grinned, "More looking into our uh…stalker problem,"

"Those hunters," Dianne deadpanned, "Doesn't he realize he can get himself killed?"

"Like you'd shoot him or Wolf would chase him," Nick replied.

"Sometimes I don't have a choice," Dianne huffed, crossing her arms, "Like when Mom…"

Her shoulders sagged.

"Can't believe it's been this long," she muttered.

Nick gently took her hand and squeezed it, being careful not to crush it as the pistons hidden under his skin creaked slightly. The Mecha smiled as he stroked Death's hand.

"I'm sure she'd be proud of you," he told her.

Dianne gave a smile right as the waiter returned with their food.

"Perfect timing!" Nick beamed, "I'm starving,"

 **"So am I…"**  came a soft low rumble from Wolf as the waiter left and the violent half of Death laid his muzzle on the table.

"Wolf! No muzzle on the table!" Dianne scolded, "I'll give you some if you get off,"

Wolf gave a half-hearted growl, but it died to a whine as he settled down off the table, ethereal paws appearing as he laid his head on them, grumbling. Dianne rubbed his ears gently.

"You'll be  _fine_ ," she smiled.

* * *

After dinner, the couple decided to go for a walk in the darkened park. They ignored the stares they received. A tiny, doll-like woman with a giant, mountain of a man was definitely an odd sight, but the unnerving aura around them made their watchers suddenly rush off.

"You know, that aura of yours is actually pretty useful," Nick chuckled.

"I wish I could figure out how to turn it  _off_ ," Dianne huffed as they made their way through the lamplit path, "It's annoying to have to fight against people running away from you,"

"I mean, you  _are_  Death," Nick reasoned.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…"

"Because you  _slay_  me,"

"Nick!"

"What!"

Dianne rolled her eyes as her boyfriend laughed and brought her closer to him.

"Ah, you know I love you, Dianne," he smiled.

Dianne smiled back. Since they'd been together, he'd opened up and been warmer than he had been when they first met. Nick frowned, putting a hand on his stomach.

"Nick?" Dianne asked, looking up at him.

"It's nothing," Sion's Chosen reassured her, "Just something I…"

He stopped, looking at his girlfriend.

"Dianne?"

But she wasn't focused on his face…rather, just above his head. There was a faint, violet and white spiral beginning to form.

"Wait… _what_?" Nick blinked, " _How_? I…"

He swayed on his feet, falling to a knee.

"Nick!" Dianne cried, rushing to him, her black eyes reflecting the glow of the Mark.

"Poison is such a wonderful thing, isn't it?" a female voice asked.

Dianne summoned her bow, pointed the ivory arrow at the speaker as Wolf materialized in a whirl of black mist, snarling. Nick gave a bone chilling, almost metallic growl as a scarlet gleam shone in his eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I strike a nerve?" the woman asked, smiling as she stepped out of the shadows along with multiple men in heavy armor and weapons, "I figured that since your sister is a Spider, you'd be used to  _Atrax robustus_  venom. The Sydney Funnel Spider? It normally takes about 15 minutes to kill someone. But being what you are, I will admit I'm surprised you're still standing,"

"Let me smack that smile off your face," Nick snarled, a large, metallic hammer appearing in his hand.

"Two universes, ten planets, nine seas, 819 islands, 217 countries and we had the unfortunate luck of meeting  _you_ ," Dianne growled.

"There are 8 planets here you uncultured swine!" one of the men piped up.

Dianne gave a chilling glare at him and Nick gave a smug grin.

"Viva la Pluto  _screw_  you," Nick smiled savagely.

With that, Dianne sent Wolf pouncing forwards. The shadowy creature  _roared_  as he sank his teeth into one of the armored men's arms, tearing and shaking. The man fell to the ground, shrieking in agony, much more so than anyone being bit by a dog would.

His fellows never got to help him, as they were fallen upon by Dianne, whose face was now covered in an ebony wood mask, her black hair flaring about her in a dark halo. Silver-white arrows shot around the 'battle field' the targets they hit immediately crumpled to the ground, unmoving.

"Such befalls all who bear our Mark," Lamb stated as she came do a rest on top of a lamp post.

She cocked her head to the side, almost bird-like, as she watched the frantically fighting men.

"They run from us," she mused, "Wolf will have a good chase tonight,"

"Or not," the woman said.

Lamb looked at her and an uneasy, unfamiliar cold gripped her heart. Her eyes flared dark and Dianne gave a cry.

"NICK!" she yelled.

Nick had dropped his hammer, shaking and sweating as the poison burned through him, he was on all fours while the woman pointed a gun at his head…surrounded by a few men that Dianne hadn't gotten to yet.

"I'm very sure that you don't want to take his mark, yes?" the woman asked.

"What do you want," Dianne snarled, shaking as Wolf also growled angrily.

"Come down from there and come  _quietly_  with us and we'll give him the antidote,"

"Dianne… _no_ …" Nick started only to violently cough, blood dribbling past his lips.

"He doesn't have long," the woman stated, "You'll have to shoot him and then we'll move on to getting Eva and his brother. You  _do_  care for him, don't you?"

"Don't worry…about me," Nick snapped, " _Shoot her_!"

"Do it and he dies," the woman replied coldly.

Dianne looked at Nick, then the woman, then back at Nick. She gave a sigh...and dropped her bow, jumping off the lightpost and holding out her hands.

"You'll give him the antidote," she stated.

"If you come with us, yes,"

She held her wrists out.

"Just don't hurt him,"

* * *

Dianne yelped as she was thrown into a room, only bring saved from face-planting onto the cold concrete floor by the smoky form of Wolf, who snarled menacingly at the guards as they slammed the door shut.

"I guess getting out by just fazing through it isn't going to work?" she asked.

 _"There is a strange magic about this place…"_  Lamb murmured,  _"I do not think we can break through this,"_

"Great," Dianne huffed as she hugged Wolf's head to her, making him grumble slightly, "I just hope Nick's ok,"

"Dianne?" a low male voice asked.

Dianne looked up, the blue glow cast by Wolf's eyes illuminating what looked to be a blond man in beat up and torn clothes…remnants of what looked to be a nice suit.

"Arthur?" Kindred's Chosen blinked, "What are  _you_  doing here?"

"Same as you," Pantheon's Chosen growled, one eye gleaming gold…something Dianne had only seen Cira do.

Speaking of Leona's Chosen…

"Where's Cira? And Vesper?" Dianne asked, "You're rarely away from their side…"

"I'm here!" came Vesper's sweet trill as she bounced up to her Daddy, "I can't make a portal out though…Zoe says they've done something to the place that messes with her magic. And Mama…"

"…I'm here," came Cira's familiar voice…along with a rattling sound that sounded suspiciously like chains.

Dianne looked around the basement/holding cell, trying to find her friend. She found her...though it made her heart drop.

The First Chosen had been chained to a wall, battered and bleeding scarlet and golden oil from multiple lacerations. Patches of her body were completely mechanical, result of the sparking projector sputtering on her chest. Her red blonde hair was falling down out of the braid it had been in, falling over the half-formed visor that hid one of her eyes. But what made Dianne's heart sink even farther wasn't the fact that a powerful Chosen like Cira had been chained up so she could barely move…

But the fact of what she was wearing.

It was the remains of what used to be a wedding gown.

"Cira…you're…"

The First Chosen gave a sad half smile, but didn't seem to look at Dianne…not directly in any case. Dianne came closer and Cira straightened, casting her head around as if trying to see her.

"Cira?" Dianne frowned, waving a hand before the older Chosen.

"You'd think they'd give us some light to see by, huh Dianne?" Cira chuckled, drawing her knees up to her chest and making the chains rattle again.

"What are you talking about?" Dianne asked, "Cira…this whole room is lit up like the daytime,"

"What?" Cira blinked, still looking through Dianne rather than at her, "Dianne, you might need to get your eyes checked…there's nothing but black here,"

She turned to her fiancé.

"Arthur…it  _is_  dark, right?"

Arthur gave a sigh and came closer to Cira, embracing her as she started to shake.

"No…" she whispered, " _No_ …they…I'm… _blind_?"

"It's not that they hurt your eyes," Arthur told her, "I think they just…switched them off. Your eyes look totally fine,"

"I'm blind…" Cira croaked, tears starting to stream, "I can't see…they…they…"

She burst into tears, shaking violently as Arthur held her tighter and she clung to him.

"I just want to go home," she whispered, "I just want to get married…I just want to get  _out_  of here…"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Chosens come from all walks of life. Children, adults, teenagers, grandparents…Your age or occupation doesn't matter to a Champion. It's your personality they look at. Some of us are teachers, some of us students, some of us soldiers, some of us police officers. We come from all walks of life, what binds us together is the fact that we are part of a family of Champions. Of them, the ones I would not mess with are the ones that are teachers, police officers…or soldiers._

The waves crashed against the cliffside and the seagulls cried, soaring over the outcrop. Amber smiled as she closed her eyes and let the breeze tangle in her long red hair.

"Yo, Amber!" came another female voice, thick with a Texan accent, "You gonna help us out?"

Amber opened her eyes to see the rest of her team unloading the truck and setting up for lunch. Krista Rhon stood not far behind her, hip cocked to the side as she looked expectantly at the younger soldier.

"Right," the red-head nodded, getting up and throwing one more look at the sea.

"Heh, I know you wanna get your fins wet but we've got lunch first," Krista grinned.

Amber stuck her tongue out at her fellow Chosen as the latter laughed. As a matter of fact, all of the people present were Chosens. Lenny Wood, who was currently hefting some lawn chairs out of the back of the truck, was Graves. Vivian Vauclain, an amputee who was currently setting places on a blanket, was Camille. Krista, who was currently grinning, was Kalista. And Amber herself was Nami.

The youngest member of the team brushed her braid off her shoulder as her gold-specked green eyes watched her friends, curtesy of Nami's influence. All four of the former Delta squad had been affected by their Champion. Lenny'd picked back up his smoking habit and his dark eyes had gained hints of another brown. Vivian's once scarlet red hair had turned more of a silvery, blonde-white while her own green eyes carried flecks of blue. Krista…Krista probably had the most change.

The ex-sniper was still tall and slender, but her skin carried a translucency that likened her to a walking, breathing mind you, corpse. It was to be expected…seeing as her Champion was a spirit.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Krista deadpanned.

"I'm looking at you, aren't I?" Amber retorted, getting a savage grin from Krista.

"I knew I liked you," Krista laughed, walking back towards the woods.

"Where's she going?" Amber asked Vivian as the latter stood and brushed herself off.

"Being paranoid Krista again," the Steel Shadow's Chosen stated, "She's probably checking the perimeter and setting up sentinels,"

"I know we've had issues with those hunters and all…but I'm sure we can handle them," Amber huffed.

"Like yer gonna be the one to stop her, small fry," Lenny grinned.

He was suddenly drenched with water as Amber grinned back.

"Looks like you're all  _washed up_ , Lenny," she preened as she twirled an ornate staff around her shoulders.

"Cease senselessly speaking those stupid puns," Vivian groaned, pinching her nose.

"Aw come on Viv, they're fun," came Krista's voice as the Spirit of Vengeance came out of the woods and flopped down on the blanket, "Lighten up a bit,"

Lenny came over and picked Krista up, making the sniper screech and thrash uselessly.

"Yeah…you need to eat, Krissy. There's  _nothin'_  on ya!" he grinned.

"Put us down!" Krista yelled, "Lenny! We will fill you with spears if you don't!"

"Krista," Vivian warned, "'me' and 'I',"

Krista stopped squirming and gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Viv," she told her before kicking Lenny, "Put me down before I make good on my promise,"

"Sure," Lenny smirked,  _dropping_  Krista to the ground.

"Ow!" Krista whined as she landed on her back, "Lenny! My  _spears_! That hurt!"

"Sorry, Krissy," Lenny apologized as he helped her back to her feet, "Need to remember those things are persistent even though I can't see 'em,"

Krista nodded, rubbing the back of her head.

"Why don't we get something to eat now," Amber suggested, "I had some fun making this,"

"Food's always a good thing," Lenny agreed as they all at down on the blanket and pulled out plates, cups and utensils.

"Agreed," Vivian nodded as Amber started unpacking the food, "Amber, that looks marvelous,"

"Thanks!" Amber beamed as she pulled out a plate of…

" _Sushi_!" Krista gasped, looking up at Amber, "But…Nami…"

"I'm not eating it," Amber shrugged, "It's all yours because I know you're the only one that'll eat it,"

Krista gave a grin and hugged Amber.

"I love you," she smirked, "You're the best support!"

"Don't let Cira hear you say that," Amber chuckled, handing over a pair of chopsticks to the Carry and watched as Krista dug into the food, "Wow, Krista, careful, don't choke,"

"Like it's gonna matter!" Krista retorted, swallowing, "Shadow Isles Champ, remember? I can't die,"

"You're still alive though," Vivian countered.

"Ish," Krista shrugged, "I don't really have a heartbeat and I'm cold as  _ice_. See?"

She put a hand on Lenny's neck, who was currently taking a swig out of his cup, sending the drink spraying from the shock of Krista's icy hands touching.

"KRISTA!" Lenny roared, swatting at her as Krista cackled and dodged him.

Suddenly, Krista's gaze went unfocused and she stood up, staring at the woods.

"Krista? What's wrong?" Vivian asked, frowning.

"One of my Sentinels went off…" Krista murmured as a misty, teal light shot towards her from the trees.

It formed the shade of a young man, who mouthed something and Krista nodded.

"Thank you," she told him, holding out her hand as the young man dissolved into mist again and coiled around Krista's arm before fading away, "There's a bunch of guys, lot of armor and guns, heading our way,"

"Hunters, huh?" Lenny growled, getting up and walking back to the truck, grabbing a shotgun of sorts from the bed, "Well, let's show 'em we've got some firepower too,"

He pulled out two long, thin cases and set them on the ground.

"Hey, Krissy, Boss, we've got some toys for you two to have," he said as Krista came up and opened one of the boxes.

Her eyes lit up and a wicked grin came on her face.

"Lenny, I could  _kiss_  you," she cackled as she set about to assembling what was in the box, "Ah! It's been so  _long_!"

"I can imagine what is in there," Vivian said as she went to the other box and opening it, "Ah, I am not disappointed,"

"Think you two can go and pick a few off?" Amber asked as she pulled a handgun out of the glove compartment, "Then Lenny and I can finish them off if they get here?"

 _"If_ ," Krista cackled, "You think they'll actually get  _past_  us,"

* * *

"They're just up ahead," one of the scouts stated, "I can only see two of them,"

"I thought our intel said there was four," the leader blinked, "Perhaps the others left…"

_CRACK!_

A man went down, blood spurting from a hole in his head as he keeled over to the ground. Unmoving…yet still breathing.

"Sniper!" another man yelled as another shot rang out from another direction entirely and took another man, "Two!"

"More than that!" the first man snapped as another shot came from yet  _another_  direction.

"No," the leader deadpanned, "It's just two,"

* * *

Krista blew a strand of hair out of her face as she aimed from her treetop perch.

 ** _"You are not using your sight?"_**  Kalista asked.

"Nah, you made my eyesight so good that that just gets in the way," Krista smirked as she took her second shot, "Alright, time to move,"

She raised her hand and the Black Mist swirled into a portal. The former soldier lightly trod across the tree branch into the portal before reappearing on the far side of the hunter troupe.

"That's just so fun," Krista chuckled, watching as Vivian zipped through the trees.

One of the hooks shot from the winch at her hip and penetrated a tree close to Krista's position. The Steel Shadow's Chosen came to a rest, her bladed prosthetics sliced into the tree bark, giving her even more hold as she raised her own rifle and took a shot before disengaging the hook and shooting another one towards another tree.

"Well, Viv's having fun," Krista smirked as she took aim.

**_"As are you,"_ **

"No,  _really_?" Krista deadpanned, taking her shot.

 ** _"Your sarcasm is not lost on us, Krista,"_**  Kalista stated,  ** _"I have gotten better at detecting it,"_**

"Hey, you used 'I' instead of 'we', that's progress!" Krista smiled as she once more stepped into the portal, "I'm proud of you,"

**_"You have quite the impact,"_ **

"So do you," came the chuckle as she aimed.

* * *

Soldiers fell, still breathing due to the absence of Death, but out of commission and might as well be dead. Their leader gave a low grumble as he tried to pinpoint the snipers. It wasn't much to go on, they were good about not firing from the same spot. So, it meant they had two very mobile Champions bound to them. There was a flicker of silver just to his right. He raised his own gun and shot in that direction.

There was a twanging sound and the sound of something crashing through the branches.

"Viv!" came a female voice as the steely silver glimmer hit the ground, a rifle clattering to the turf next to her.

It was a woman with silver-streaked red hair and green eyes that glimmered with a faint blue. But what caught his attention more were the very lethal looking blades that served as legs. The woman's teeth bared in a snarl and she gracefully bridged herself into a standing position.

"I suppose the situation states I should start slicing rather than shooting," the woman stated, looking almost bored as she sighed.

Shrieks filled the area as the mist in the area suddenly turned pitch black. Teal light flickered in the inky swaths as if bits of lightning in a storm. A streak of teal fire suddenly shot past, impaling one of the men to the tree. The leader looked behind him to see a figure stride out, silver eyes glowing with spectral unlight as three spear-like objects took form in her back, a fourth spear lay in the newcomer's hand.

Shots rang out as the woman walked forwards, the men panicking as a thick feeling of dread and terror settled over them. The woman kept striding forwards, stalking almost, ignoring the bullets.

The newcomer raised her hand and for the first time, the leader noticed a faint tether of light between the two women. The first woman disappeared as a pale flame of light was drawn towards the second.

 ** _"They shall not have you,"_**  the second woman stated as the mist coalesced into a pillar and the remaining woman dove through.

The eerie unlight disappeared with the women, the birds started chirping again and the rain began to fall once more.

"Sir?" a soldier asked.

"We keep going,"

* * *

Krista dove out of the portal, gesturing with her free spear as she hit the ground. The pale light around her shot away and Vivian rematerialized on the ground, disheveled.

"Krista,  _do not_  do that again!" Vivian demanded, "Do you realize how that…"

She stopped. Krista hadn't moved from the ground.

"Krista?"

The younger Chosen's white eyes stared up at the sky.

 ** _"She is in shock,"_**  Kalista stated,  ** _"One of the bullets struck near her heart. We are keeping her sedated until we heal…I am sorry, but we are unable to fight. Unfortunately, the bullet is still here…"_**

"Lenny, grab my bag from the passenger's seat," Amber instructed, "Don't move her, Viv. We don't want to dislodge the bullet so that it slips somewhere else,"

Amber came closer, kneeling down and examining her fellow soldier. She gave a hissing sound as she looked at the wound.

"This looks really bad…" she muttered as Lenny came up with the bag, "Thanks…now we have to get that bullet out. Have to cut away at her shirt so it doesn't interfere…"

Amber started working. Giving Vivian and Lenny some instructions every so often. There was the sound of branches cracking, making the four ex-Delta soldiers look up.

"I'll keep working," Amber told them, "You keep them busy. I can't leave Krista when I'm arms deep in her chest…"

Vivian and Lenny nodded, Vivian taking out her pistol and Lenny disengaging the safety on his and Graves' shotgun. As soon as the first soldier entered the clearing, the two opened fire.

"Almost got it, Kalista," Amber told the Champion as the latter gave a soft, whispery groan of pain, "I thought you didn't feel pain?'

 ** _"We do not feel the cold…this body is mortal still,"_**  the spectre replied,  ** _"It is one thing that endeared Krista to us. Her heart still beats and we feel…_ warm _…it has been so long since we have enjoyed what you mortals do. Despite the fact that her being among the living strains us…and our power is not as strong,"_**

"Well, you can forget about her dying," Amber stated, pulling out a misshapen lump and grinning, "Not for a long while anyways,"

Kalista closed her eyes and a sense of  _peace_  seemed to wash over her.

 ** _"We thank you. Both of us,"_**  came the spectre's hum,  ** _"Now we can heal,"_**

"Let me help with that," Amber started, her staff reappearing in her hand, "Ready Nami?"

 _"Always!"_  came the Vastyan's grin.

Amber grabbed a water bottle and unscrewed the lid, pouring the liquid over the injured marksman. Kalista gave a hiss, her face screwing up in pain before easing as Amber put her palm over the carry's wound. Within moments, the wound was healed.

"There. Should be better,"

 ** _"We are not moving until Krista regains consciousness…that could very well be a few hours,"_**  Kalista stated, flinching at the sudden report of Lenny's shotgun,  ** _"But…perhaps…we do not need to move,"_**

"That's fine," Amber smiled, "I mean…these idiots obviously don't know who we are,"

Kalista cocked her head in confusion and Amber's grin grew wider.

"Did I hear that right?" Lenny asked, looking at Amber and ducking as a bullet dinged off the truck near his head.

"I mean, if they did…do you  _really_  think they'd fight me  _here_?" Amber asked.

Vivian and Lenny gave wry smiles as they reloaded and continued to shoot. The injured marksman picked up Amber's pistol, using what little knowledge she knew of the weapon that Krista was trained on, and joined the other two. She was not as good a shot as Krista or Lenny and Vivian…but she could at least make it hard for them to return fire.

 ** _"I do not see why you like these loud, noisy things,_** Kalista huffed as she took another shot, hissing in frustration as the jolt threw off her aim.

As her teammates fought, Amber stood up and ran towards the edge of the cliff, staff in hand. The hunters were too occupied with the other three to notice her stand on a rock and raise her staff. The intricate head glowed brightly as the sea roared behind her.

 _"High Tide,"_  Nami grinned.

"Hope they know how to swim!" Amber agreed as she grinned, whirled her staff around and slammed it into the rock so hard the rock split in two as salt water exploded around her.

* * *

The area got darker and colder all of a sudden, the rain seemed to have turned into a fine spray. The soldiers looked up to see a red-haired woman with a staff standing on a rock…and a  _massive_  wall of sea water behind her. She gave a wicked grin, spun her staff and slammed it into the rock so hard the rock split in half. The tidal wave of water crashed around her, surging forwards in a deadly display of water and foam, sweeping the soldiers away and leaving nothing but discarded weapons, boots, seaweed and shells behind.

* * *

"YES!" Amber cheered, "That was  _awesome_!"

"Good work everyone," Vivian nodded, looking down at their injured member, who suddenly jerked upright, shivering and violently rubbing her arms.

"Kalista! I thought I told you not to do that!" Krista yelled, "Don't take control without asking!"

"She saved you, Krista," Amber explained as she put her staff on her shoulders, "You had a bullet in you that nearly nicked your aorta. If you were awake…well, remember the  _last_  time I had to patch you up because you got shot in the arm?"

"That doesn't count!"

"You  _punched_  me with your other arm," Amber told her, "I'm glad Kalista sedated you. Because I'm pretty sure I would have been a fish kabob if she hadn't,"

"I take everything back, Cira's the best support," Krista huffed, crossing her arms as she slowly got to her feet, "Ack,  _God_  that hurts!"

She rubbed her head and looked around.

"So why were they  _here_? Why attack us?"

"I dunno," Amber shrugged.

"Maybe this'll help?" Lenny suggested, picking up a soggy folded up paper, "I mean, it's a little waterlogged bu…"

He stopped, the hand holding the paper squishing it into a pulp.

"Lenny?" Vivian asked.

"'Noble says there are four here'," Lenny growled tersely, "I only know  _one_  Noble,"

"Cira?" Krista blinked, "But…she wouldn't…"

"Perhaps not willingly," Vivian reasoned, "And Cira hated them just as much as we…"

The four fell silent as they realized what had happened.

"Oh my God they have Cira," Krista whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_These people are like my family. I've grown up with them and around them and helped them grow as well. I don't want to lose my family and if anything happened to them? I don't think I'd ever forgive myself…_

She could feel the faint tremors of the glass wall at her back as her fiancé tapped reassuring patterns on it, hear the harsh hum of the lights above her. But it was still blacker than a Nocturne Ultimate to her. She shifted, the sound of clanking chains scraping across the cold concrete, weighing her down.

The door hissed open and she could hear the click of weapons as someone came into the room.

"You sound mad," she chuckled.

"Delta," came a man's voice, "They were  _Delta_ ,"

"What, you thought I'd tell you who they were?" she smirked, "One fry short of a happy meal you are,"

A sharp pain came up in the top of her head as someone pulled her hair so she was forced to look up.

"You know…this would probably be more effective if I wasn't  _blind_ ," Cira quipped.

"Are you ever serious,"

"I'm a high school choir teacher who is in chains and blind. Her daughter is  _nowhere_  to be found and her fiancé is in another room so I can't reach him. How do you think I'm going to act," she deadpanned, "Maybe if you switched my eyes back on it'd be more effective and I'd be  _slightly_  more afraid for my life,"

"You. Are.  _Insufferable_!"

"And  _you_  are an evil mad scientist who likes to pick on kids," Cira fired back before her sightless eyes turned gold and Leona spoke, "Honestly, I don't know what you've done to my systems but I know it's made me less violent and more sarcastic, so whatever I'm doing, it's  _your_  fault. Did you disable the Fight and Hunt modes? Wow, good on you, you somewhat managed to bypass Viktor and Jayce's firewalls,"

She could hear angry stomping and the door opened and shut. She gave a wry grin as she laid her head on the wall behind her. While this wasn't ideal…messing with jerks like that was  _fun_.

* * *

"Insufferable... _How_  did she know?" the scientist demanded, "I thought she was knocked out,"

"She's somewhat human, therefore probably somewhat self-aware," another replied, "We haven't figured out how to make her completely compliant…I guess that's the Champion's influence. It's a massive firewall combined with magic and we can't crack it,"

"I guess until you guys figure it out, that means back to what we'd been doing," one of the bodyguards stated.

"Change it a little," one of the two scientists said, "Otherwise you're going to spend five days getting it out of her again,"

* * *

The door opened and Cira looked up, a blind smirk on her face.

"Oh, look, they sent the soldiers in this time. I can hear your armor against you and your footsteps are a heck of a lot heavier,"

"Names and places,"

"Oh  _this_  again? Really? I thought you guys would have given up due to the fact you got your teeth kicked in by four of them," Cira smirked.

"Ma…ma…"

Cira's smug face melted instantly and whatever blood in her face drained.

"You…" she whispered, "Vesper…"

There was a squeal as Vesper was dragged out of the room.

"MAMA! MAMA!" the seven year old shrieked, "MAMA HELP!"

"GIVE HER BACK!" Cira roared, straining against her bonds, the metal cuffs cutting into her wrists, sparks and oil dripping from them as she strained, "DON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER!"

"Tell us what we need to know and she won't be harmed,"

"Go to He-"

"Break her arms," the soldier ordered.

There was a shriek of pain and Cira's heart leapt into her throat.

"MAMAAAAAA!"

"Break her legs next," came the calm statement.

"Alright!" Cira screeched, wildly looking around and straining to get to her daughter as her eyes blazed blue and gold, "ALRIGHT! I'LL TALK! I'LL TALK!"

She fell back to the floor, tears streaming from her glass eyes.

"…I'll talk…" she whispered, "I'll talk…"

" _Forgive us…"_  both Chosen and Champion prayed.

* * *

Jin was working on his latest masterpiece. The summer night was quiet and warm, perfect for painting. He dipped his paintbrush in the soft, pastel pink paint and put some more touches on the cherry blossoms on the canvas, a faint whirring sound coming from his hand as the pistons in them moved. He hummed softly to himself as he worked, ignoring the faint reddish glow that painted over the canvas for a split second.

"Uncle, there's some strange men outside," his niece, Lian started, looking out the window.

Jin frowned, putting down his paintbrush and joining his niece. Sure enough, there was a group of strange men in what looked to be SWAT team body armor.

 _"They've come for us,"_  a smooth, honeyed male voice echoed in his Chosen's skull,  _"It's that group that Noble girl warned us about, Leona's Chosen. They'll kill_ your _niece and then kill you,"_

Jin gave a soft hum before putting a hand on his niece's shoulder.

"Lian, go hide," he told her, "I promise that I won't let anything happen to you. Just…"

"But…" Lian stammered.

" _Just_ …" Jin gave a sigh as his voice gained a sudden metallic snap, "Just do it. Go…go now,"

There was a heavy pounding on the door and Jin bolted towards his room, shoving Lian in the closet. As soon as she'd hidden, Jin went to his nightstand and opened the locked compartment, revealing an oddly shaped, ivory, gold and black gun and what looked to be a rifle's scope and barrel. The artist quickly screwed the elongated barrel and scope to the gun, turning it into a sniper's rifle. He heard the door splinter open and he took four bullets, putting them into the rifle's chambers. Jin grabbed a few lotus shaped mechanisms and bolted from the room, dropping the little flowers in various spots while he found a good spot.

"Alright, you know what to do," Jin started as his green and gold eyes suddenly flared a reddish brown.

Booted feet clomped down the hall and Jhin gave a wry smile as he raised Whisper and peered down its scope.

"And now, the curtain rises," he purred as the first of the intruders came in…

_BANG!_

The intruder was thrown off his feet, a clean hole in his chest where the powerful hextech weapon had punched a hole through it. The second man came in…

_BANG!_

And a third.

_BANG!_

And a fourth…

_BANG!_

The fourth's head was completely blown off, leaving just a stump of a neck as the electric scarlet blooms of roses formed around him. Jhin quickly reloaded.

 _"You need to be quicker,"_  Jin told his Champion.

"Death should never be quick," Jhin reminded his Chosen as he snuck through the house with four more bullets in Whisper's chamber, "It should be an  _opera_ …"

 _"I'm not letting you take control again…I should have learned from the_ last _time I let you,"_

"I don't see a problem with our condition," Jhin snorted as he took another shot, "It just enhanced our performance,"

_"Maybe, but I hate the fact that the cold makes my arms lock up,"_

Jhin rolled his eyes as a lotus trap detonated. He twirled Whisper around his finger and shot, rooting his target in place. He gave a sadistic smile as red light glowed through the area, a smooth visor of dark glass materializing over his face as a targeting system flickered to life.

_BANG!_

The last man fell and Jhin got up from his position, twirling Whisper around his finger before Jin took control back. The man shuddered as he saw the carnage around him, the blood spattering the wall like some Jackson Pollack painting.

"Uncle?" Lian asked, starting to come out of the closet.

"Don't leave the closet," Jin ordered, cocking his head to the side and listening, "There's still more…"

Lian quietly did as her uncle asked. Jin turned around, pointing Whisper at the door.

"Alright…let's get this over with…I want to get back to my painting before the paint dries," he grumbled.

There was a bang as the door flew open again and a small shape landed on the floor. Jin didn't have time to say anything as the grenade exploded with knockout gas and the Project Chosen fell to the ground, darkness flooding over his vision.

 _"Li…an…"_  Jin though before the darkness took him.

* * *

Eva paced back and forth across the floor, waiting anxiously. It'd been five days since she'd seen Dianne. She figured that it'd been because her sister was busy taking Marks…but with Amber here, telling her that they'd been attacked…Eva was less sure.

"So she's been gone for five days?" Amber blinked.

"Mhmm," Eva hummed, twirling a strand of hair as a spider crawled over it and onto her wrist, "She's been gone for long periods before…"

"Five days though?" Amber asked.

"…Not that long," Eva admitted, "You don't think…"

"Has Nick said anything about it?"

"Uh uh," Eva shook her head, "Anthony hasn't seen him either,"

"It's  _possible_ ," Amber told her, "We've been trying to warn the others that these guys are more aggressive than normal. I'm afraid that they've got Cira…maybe Arthur and Vesper. We found a letter saying 'Noble says there are four here'. And I  _really_  don't think that she'd give information of us willingly,"

"What if it's not her though? I mean there could be another Noble…"

"Have you seen Cira at  _all_  lately? Even Summoned?"

"No…"

"Then you've got to entertain the thought that she's gone and they've got her," Amber stated, "Same with Dianne and Nick both,"

Eva frowned before freezing.

"Eva?" Amber asked.

"Someone's here," she muttered.

"How do you…" Amber blinked.

Eva gestured to the floor and Amber repressed a shudder as many,  _many_  spiders crawled over the floor.

"They can tell me what's around me," she told her, "There's a lot of people outside…I think…"

Her face went white.

"It's them…" she whispered.

Amber pulled out her pistol, eyes hard as she shut off all the lights in the house.

"Are they approaching from all sides?" Amber asked.

"No, the back is still free, but they're heading that way,"

"Go out the back and run," Amber told her, "I'll hold them off as best I can,"

"But…"

"Just  _go_ ," Amber snapped, "Ha, listen to the Support for once, ok?"

Eva gave a sad smile and nodded, grabbing a backpack and bolting out of the house.

"Well…let's see how long we last until we go see where Cira is," Amber huffed, blowing a bang out of her eyes.

 _"We'll do fine,"_  Nami reassured her as Amber broke the window with her elbow and started firing.

* * *

Meanwhile, Eva was running through the alleys, trying to get as far as she could as fast as she could. It got to a point where she realized she'd go faster if she climbed up onto a rooftop and sprinted across that way.

She gave a shuddering gasp of pain as four spider-like legs sprouted from her back and her fingers became alike to talons. Halfway there. She kept going, pain forcing her to her hands and knees as venom filled her mouth and her hands disappeared, replaced by a single, spear-like appendage.

 _"You're getting faster,"_  Elise approved as Eva crawled up onto the side of a building, quickly scaling it…

Only to get met with figures in grey that shot a net-like projectile at her as she crested the top. There was a harsh crackling sound and Eva gave a bloodchilling screech, falling down the side of the building and landing, entangled in the net on the ground, her legs curled up around her stomach before she reverted to human form.

Her vision started darkening as more and more forms surrounded her. And it all went dark.

* * *

Amber, however, was holding her own. The Navy doctor was taking some fire, but thankfully she'd already managed to flood the house. She'd pay Dianne and Eva back for whatever damages she caused. The water lapped at her feet as she knelt down, letting her wounds heal.

 _"Don't know how much longer we can keep this up,"_  Nami admitted,  _"I can't heal you forever,"_

"I know," Amber replied, "I'm just really stalling for Eva. I hope she makes it out,"

At that moment, the back door burst open and a jarring shock ran up Amber's frame as electricity made her stiffen and jerk.

"So  _this_  is the one that took out our first squadron?" one of the grey garbed hunters asked, getting a choked, gasping growl from the Support, "Not too bright of you to flood the house like this. Not when there's things like electrical wires lying about,"

Amber still spasmed from the shock, her green eyes flaming gold as they brought the handcuffs to her.

 _"Nami…"_  Amber started as her legs fused together, forming a fish-like tail.

The Vastayan gave an unnaturally bloodchilling growl as she swept her tail around, knocking a few of them off their feet and forcing them to share the same  _shocking_  fate as her.

"Bottom feeders," she scoffed as they twitched, "I'm sorry Amber…it hurts too much…"

And her eyes fluttered shut as her tail broke back apart into legs.

* * *

Eva woke up to a knock on glass. She slowly, painfully got to her feet and limped to the door. She peered through the window and looked around her surroundings: glass windows in a steel door, concrete floors…wait, that blond man sitting against the wall next to her. Was that  _Arthur_?

The knock came again, more of a slap to be honest. Eva whirled towards it…just to see a familiar black and white haired form.

"Dianne!" she cried, pressing her hands against the window as Dianne did the same across the hallway as tears streamed down the other Chosen's face, "Where are we?"

Dianne shrugged, tapping her ears and shaking her head and then pointing at her lips. So the rooms were soundproof, but reading lips was an option at least.

"Is that Arthur?" Eva mouthed to her sister, pointing.

Dianne nodded.

"Cira here as well? And Nick and Vesper?"

Another nod.

"What is this place?"

Another shrug as a host of grey-garbed men came through, dragging a red-haired woman, a blonde woman, a blond man and two dark-haired men. One of the dark haired men was Hispanic, the other Asian.

"…Amber, Kristen, Piotr, Fabien and Jin…" Eva whispered, trying to look again, "What is going  _on_ …"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. There are certainly a lot of enemies within our Ranks. Lucian and Thresh, Kalista and Hecarim, Zed and Shen, Ashe and Sejuani, even Diana and Leona at one point. Most of these have dulled to a mutual dislike and inability to get along well for long points in time…but some of them still carry the fresh scars of what caused the schism. But, at the end of the day…there comes a point where my enemy becomes my friend._

"Ow!" Jonathan yelped, shaking his hand as sparks flew from his wrist.

"You having problems again?" Sienna asked.

"Ah I just screwed up my arm in that last match, couldn't get to Caleb or Jake," he said, biting his lip as he went at the arm again only for it to send up sparks again, "OW!"

"Give me that," Sienna sighed, taking the screwdriver from Jonathan and then taking his arm, "I swear, you'd learn how to repair yourself by now,"

"But then I couldn't get you to do it," he teased, only to yelp as she whapped him with said screwdriver, "Ow!"

"You big baby!" she laughed, "I'm surprised Lucian isn't teasing you,"

"He is," Jonathan admitted, "but he's laughing too hard to do much else, says you're acting just as he'd said Senna would,"

Sienna gave a smile and touched her chest, feeling a faint thrum of a  _second_  heartbeat.

"I mean, he's not wrong," she told him.

It'd been a few weeks since they'd had the heated discussion with Andrew about Hayden. Said Chain Warden had attacked Sienna in hopes he would make Jonathan more like Lucian. They'd gotten after Andrew, who punished the other Chosen in a harsh way. With the Tribunal's blessing…Senna had been freed from the Lantern. However, due to the fact that Senna had no body anymore, she had started to dissipate and would disappear forever. Sienna had stepped up and volunteered to be Senna's pseudo-Chosen.

And to make the punishment more for Hayden…they forced Hayden to some community service, in the very same Church that Jonathan worked in. In a way, it was punishment for Jonathan as well, because Jonathan had tried to kill Hayden in the first place. So both enemies were being punished.

Jonathan's eyes flickered a darker shade of brown and he wrapped his arms around Sienna, whose teal eyes seemed to now glow.

"I'm glad I'm not wrong, my Light," Lucian murmured, kissing her head as he held his wife.

"So am I," Senna agreed, holding him closer before both gave control back.

"You two can spend more time with each other, I don't mind," Sienna said.

"You both deserve it," Jonathan agreed.

 _"We'll wait until we get back to Valoran,"_  Lucian said,  _"Safer. Lenny and Graves_ did _give us a warning about what was going on,"_

"Yeah, there's been a lot of Chosens going missing," Jonathan nodded, "Heard that Ryo, Sarah, Silvia and Shane went missing yesterday,"

"That's…Kayle, Morgana, Syndra and Shen, right?" Sienna asked.

Jonathan nodded.

"Zayne's about to lose his mind with worry for Silvia," he said, tapping his head, "He's been comming all of us asking if we know anything,"

"Anyone know?"

"Nope. Haven't heard from Cira, Amelia, Valencia, or Violet either,"

"Cira I know, same as Amelia. Who are Valencia and Violet?"

"Vayne and Vi,"

"I need to get better at this,"

A green glow and a heavy thud hit the table, making Sienna jump and nearly teleport to the other side of the room while Jonathan raised his guns and pointed them at Hayden, who was cackling.

"Oh your  _faces_!" he howled, as Jonathan set his guns on the table with a growl, "So scared!"

"What do you want, Hayden," Jonathan growled as Hayden picked up the ornate lantern off the table.

"I  _want_  to get out of this place and possibly drag her back into the lantern but that's not going to happen," Thresh's Chosen shrugged, "I got those stupid windows fixed and washed. Can I go home now?"

" _Without_  taking any souls," Jonathan said pointedly.

"You take all the fun out of this," Hayden huffed, turning to walk out.

Jonathan reached for his guns again, slate colored armor flickering into being over his arms, right as Sienna lay her hand on his.

"You know what Andrew would do if you shot him,"

"Still tempting," Jonathan growled, "Lord above I wish I could put a supercharged plasma bolt through his spectral  _head_ ,"

" _You're_  the one wanting to be a man of God," Sienna teased, gently giving him a whap upside the head with a wooden spoon, resulting in a metallic clang.

"Ow,"

"You're a bit of a wimp, Jonathan," she chuckled.

"I'm a carry, I'm supposed to be squishy!" he retorted.

There was a crash from the sanctuary and the two frowned, making their way up to the church, just to see Hayden slam against the doors, piling pews up and barring the entrance.

"What in God's good earth are you doing?" Jonathan demanded.

Hayden turned to face him and Jonathan realized that it wasn't the Chosen. Hayden's skin was a translucent green color while his eyes burned with emerald green fire, a hole dripping black liquid was opened up in his stomach.

 **"Sorry to disappoint, but Hayden isn't here right now,"**  Thresh growled,  **"I don't feel like becoming Swiss Cheese, so back here was the best place to be,"**

"What do you want, Thresh," Lucian demanded, putting Senna behind him.

 **"Idiot. I'm not after you,"**  the Chain Warden hissed,  **"No, those Hunters that have been stalking us are outside. They shot at Hayden and myself. Hayden is currently in shock from bloodloss, so I brought us back here to your _warm_ presence _,"_**

"They're outside," Jonathan deadpanned.

 **"Go stick your head outside and look, Project,"**  Thresh sneered,  **"They put a bullet through me. It hurts like Hell as Hayden would say, I can only imagine what they have outfitted for you,"**

 _"Much as I hate it…it's a probably a good idea to listen to him,"_  Lucian advised,  _"Let's get everything ready for a fight,"_

"Sienna…I want you to go hide in the confessional, ok?" Jonathan asked, "Don't come out until we're done,"

She gave a nod…before going up and giving him a kiss.

"Don't die," she ordered.

"Do my best," Jonathan smiled as she went off.

He turned to Thresh, who had already summoned his chains and Lantern.

"I hate you," Lucian growled.

 ** _"I hate you too,"_**  Thresh smirked,  ** _"I call 'dibs' on your soul if you die,"_**

"And I'll dance on your corpse if you do," came the retort as a flicker passed over the young man.

Orange circuits ignited as a visor and targeting HUD appeared over the Project's vision. The hydraulics in his legs hissed slightly as he shifted his weight.

"Tell me, you can do that weird mist thing Kalista does, can't you?"

 ** _"She has greatest control over it due to being the Ruined King's niece,"_** Thresh stated,  ** _"But yes. I can,"_**

"Give us cover," Lucian ordered.

**"Who died and made you leader?"**

**"Give us cover Thresh,"**  came the staticky snarl from the Project.

**"Oh I'm sorry, I don't understand _machine,"_**

"Give us  _cover_ ," Jonathan snapped, pointing a gun at Thresh's head.

 **"See, was that so hard?"**  Thresh smirked, raising his hand as the Black Mist started to roll through the church.

Lucian's visor flashed in annoyance and the Carry snuck off into the Mist, the dim glow from his visor fading as he hid. Thresh did the same, right as the doors burst open.

Soldiers cautiously moved in, the Mist swirling around them. Sienna watched with wide eyes as they carefully made their way in. Emerald light filtered through the thick mist. Senna shuddered within her soul as a child's voice began to sing.

 _"Cling clang go the chains, someone's out to find you. Cling clang, oh the chains, the Warden's right_ behind _you…"_

There was a flicker of movement and a scream, quickly cut off, rifled through the mist as one of the hunters was yanked from his fellows. Sienna covered her mouth with her hands as the mist swirled just enough to reveal the soldier, hanging with a bladed chain wrapped around his neck, dripping blood, from the balcony.

_"Quick, now the seeking chains approach with their harsh scrape…don't stop, flee the chains, your last chance to escape…"_

The doors slammed shut and another man was dragged off into the mist, screaming, only to get cut off as a harsh scraping of metal against stone echoed through the silence.

 **"Drag the chains, drag the chains with all the strength you may,"**  came Thresh's raspy voice,  **"Drag the chains, drag the chains, e're they drag you away. Cling clang, go the chains, no more time to fear,"**

The green glow strengthened and there was Thresh, lazily twirling a chain as his lantern glowed sinisterly. The Chain Warden bared his teeth in a savage grin as he raised his hand, clenching the fingers into a fist as pillars of tall, ethereal mist erupted through the floor in a box shape.

 **"Cling clang, go the chains the last sound that you'll hear,"**  he cackled, winding up for another hook shot.

But the soldiers were ready this time. They shot at the spectre, making him hiss and dive away as the rounds peppered the area. The Box began to fade, its walls unbroken…when a harsh orange glow appeared on the opposite side.

Bullets of harsh orange light peppered the area as Lucian darted around, casting light with every shot. His visor burned like a star and Sienna watched with bated breath as he dashed around the soldiers, a blur of orange circuits and grey metal. One of the soldiers managed to get a lock on him and shot, catching Lucian in the leg and making the Purifier go down to a knee, hissing in pain as sparks and oil flared from the wound.

 **"Join me,"**  came the spectre's call as a heavy Lantern of wrought iron landed next to Lucian.

The Carry grabbed hold of the ice cold metal and was instantly teleported to Thresh's side.

 **"Aren't you forgetting something?"**  the sadist asked,  **"You're supposed to say something,"**

"You're lucky I don't shoot you," Lucian rumbled, trying to stand only for his leg to give out.

 **"Poor fragile little carry,"**  Thresh sneered,  **"always needing your support's help,"**

"You stole my wife, I want  _nothing_  from you,"

 **"What was it once? First my wife, then my kills?"**  Thresh scoffed,  **"Idiot, you are nothing without me. I _made_  you what you are. Never forget that. I never forgave Viktor for breaking you. You were  _mine_  to break. And these humans aren't going to kill you. Oh no. That's for  _me_  to do,"**

"Hate to break up your little lover's spat," came a voice through the Mist, "Jonathan Cross Jr., Hayden White, you're coming with us,"

"Ha! And what makes you think that?" Jonathan demanded, aiming…only to freeze.

Through the mist, Jonathan could make out the leader…who had Sienna at gunpoint. The woman's eyes flashed in anger, smoke trailing from Senna's light caster in her hand as Jonathan lowered his own. While the Support and Carry were bickering, Sienna had left the confessional and, with Senna's guidance, had shot at the hunters, taking down two before they managed to catch her.

 **"You think that's going to work on me,"**  Thresh barked readying his hook again and hurling it,  **"I'd say n-AGH!"**

The spectre was thrown backwards as a bullet caught his arm, the bladed chain clanking to the ground harmlessly as it fell out of his useless hand. Thresh gave a feral hiss as he tried to get up, just for another bullet to pass through his leg and cause a scream of agony to tear through his lips.

Jonathan raised his hands over his head, the projector kicking on and revealing his human self.

"Alright, alright. You got me. Just…let my Light go," he muttered.

* * *

_Months Later..._

Krista stopped, kneeling down to tie her shoe as the morning fog rolled over the park pathway. Despite all that was going on, it still felt good to take those morning jogs where no one was around.

 ** _"You are sure this is wise? With all of the Chosen going missing,"_**  Kalista asked.

"I have you, I don't really need to worry too much," Krista stated as she started humming and eventually singing, "On the ground I lay, Motionless in pain, I can see my life flashing before my eyes…"

A cold prickling feeling shot up her spine, ending right at the jagged scar that at one point, had caused her to not walk.

 ** _"We are being watched,"_**  Kalista warned.

"I know," Krista muttered as she straightened from tying her shoe, "Just acting like nothing is wrong,"

**_"That is wise,"_ **

Krista continued on her jog, travelling farther into the mist until it hid her from view. The Chosen swiftly climbed up a tree and watched from her perch as a man 'jogged' by.

"Kinda hard to jog in a suit, isn't it?" Krista muttered as the man stopped and looked around before pulling out a radio.

"I lost her," the man growled, "She used the mist to disappear on me,"

 _"Should have sent someone more experienced in tracking,"_  the voice on the other end growled, " _Especially_  since you're going after a wraith,"

" _Wraith_ ," Krista scoffed, "I'm alive thank you very much!"

"I can find her, don't worry about it," the man snapped, "There's only four left. She shouldn't be too hard to track down,"

"Four of us?" Krista whispered, "that's…they caught all but four. Viv and me for sure…"

 ** _"Diana and Jinx are still free,"_**  Kalista said,  ** _"We saw them last match, do you not remember, Krista?"_**

"Right…"

She watched as he hung up.

"Now?"

**_"Now!"_ **

The man looked up just in time to see what he could only describe as a being out of Hell launch itself from the tree, teal blue light flaring about it as a spear tore through his shoulder, pinning him to the ground. He screamed, but the sound was swallowed up by the now ink black mist.

"'Shouldn't be too hard to track down', was that what we heard you say?" Krista asked, holding up a hand in a near fist, "We are not some animal that can be hunted. Yet you believe we are?"

She gave a laugh and grabbed him, pulling him up the length of the spear until he was free.

"Where are the others." She growled, one eye pure white the other a misty grey flecked with teal, "Tell me,"

"Like I'll talk!" he spat, face screwed up in pain.

"Loyal, aren't you?" the Spear of Vengeance hummed, "Commendable. Normally, we would not do this to a loyal heart but…"

She clenched her fist and spears shot from nothingness, piercing through the man's chest and making him shriek as they pinned him to the tree behind him.

"It's a shame that death has stopped," Krista huffed, "And I really hate playing the role of bad guy. Don't worry, your friends are probably on their way. As for me…I've got my own friends to take care of,"

She raised her hand and walked through the pillar of Mist to the other side…which happened to be right in Vivian's kitchen. The Steel Shadow immediately opened fire as Krista yelped and hit the deck.

"VIV! IT'S ME!" Krista yelled, covering her head as the mist portal dissipated.

Vivian's eyes narrowed as she glared at her friend.

"Krista, I cannot correctly count nor calculate how many times I told you  _not_  to do that!" she snapped.

"I had a good reason this time?" Krista asked, peeking up at Vivian with a sheepish smile, "I got tailed. They're probably on their way here,"

"Always a party with you, isn't it?" Vivian sighed as she started barricading the doors and windows with Krista's help, "How long?"

"Dunno," Krista admitted, "Soon I think. I…also know where to find Mir and Mya. Viv, the four of us are the only ones left,"

Vivian stopped, looking at the other sniper.

"That can't…"

"The guy tailing me said there were just four left. And I know Mir and Mya are alright,"

Vivian's face turned sad.

"Then that means Lenny, Demetrius…"

"Gone," Krista nodded, "I…don't like to say this, but I think it's only a matter of time before we get caught too. The guy I caught wouldn't talk about where they hid them. We could possibly break out from there?"

"Perhaps, but we cannot be taken too easily else they'll…" she stopped as she spotted movement, "They're here. There are at least fifty,"

"I'll help you," Krista said, starting to turn towards the gun safe.

Vivian caught her arm.

"Warn Mir and Mya," she told her, "That's an order,"

" _Viv_!" Krista protested, "I can help…I…"

"Captain Rhon you will leave this house and go warn the last two Chosens while I'll hold them off," Vivian snapped.

Krista opened her mouth to protest…only for angered expression to go lax as a blue-green tint colored her pale skin, as three spears rammed through her back and her silver eyes turned white.

 **"Apologies, Krista, but it is for the best,"**  Kalista stated,  **"This is what your commander wants,"**

Her face spasmed slightly as Krista fought back.

 _"GIVE US CONTROL KALISTA!"_ Krista shrieked, throwing everything into the spectre's consciousness.

 **"Forgive me,"**  she muttered before turning to Vivian and putting her fist to her heart,  **"May your weapons always find their mark, Lady Vivian,"**

 _"KALISTA! NO! VIVIAN! VIV! NO!"_ Krista screamed, her tears of anger physically manifesting on Kalista's cheeks,  _"WE CAN'T LEAVE HER! NO! VIV!_ VIV _!"_

And with that the spectre vanished in a whorl of mist.

"Thanks," Vivian nodded before looking down the sight of her rifle, "Alright then. You wanted me? That doesn't mean I'm going to make it easy on you,"

By the time the Hunters made it to Vivian and managed to subdue her, only two remained of seventy five.

* * *

Mir peered out of the window before retreating back into the shadows of the house. It'd been a little less than a year since the wedding attack and she and Mya were currently hiding. The one place that the Hunters hadn't looked, funnily enough, was the old Victorian house that Mir, Cira, Arthur and Vesper had lived in.

Mya picked at her fingernails, bored to tears as the Aspect of the Moon came back to her.

"Nothin'?" Mya asked.

Mir shook her head.

"I don't know how many are left now," Mir shrugged, "I'm guessing that someone else got taken, considering the whole commotion in the city earlier today,"

"We can't just  _sit_  here, Mir!" Mya snapped, getting up her long, blue-streaked braids swinging.

"Well we can't just go out guns blazing either!" Mir hissed, the rune on her forehead glowing brightly in the darkness of the house, "We don't know where  _anyone_  is, and Cira and Leona told us to get you out. No excuses,"

Mya rolled her eyes and flopped back on the couch.

"I hate being stuck here like a sump rat," Jinx huffed, "I'd rather be breathing in the Grey than staying here,"

Mir rolled her eyes, but she didn't get the opportunity to respond. A loud thump on the porch got her attention. The Scorn of the Moon held out her hand, a sharp, silver, curved blade materialized in it as she stalked forwards. Mya sat upright, aiming Fishbones with a determined glare on her face. Mir peeked out the window…and immediately dropped her sword, opening the door.

A battered Kalista leaned on a spear, her knees shaking as she looked at Mir. The Spear of Vengeance gave a shaky smile before the spear faded and she collapsed forwards. Mir caught the feather-light carry and dragged her into the house, kicking the door shut.

"Krista?" Mya asked, helping Mir bring the Shadow Isles Chosen to the couch, "What happened to her?"

"I don't know," Mir told her, "Get the first aid kit,"

Mya nodded and ran into the kitchen, grabbing the first aid kit and bolting back to Mir, whose now silver eyes scanned over the wounded Carry. She reached to wash a nasty cut on Krista's cheek when the Carry gasped and flailed, instantly rolling into a hunting crouch, her spears glowing darkling through her back as a snarl crossed her pale face.

"Krista! Easy! It's us!" Mya called, "Mir and Mya! Remember?!"

The slightly feral Chosen's breaths calmed as she took in her surroundings…and promptly collapsed to the floor.

"…Viv…" Krista croaked, "Kalista… _why_ …"

"What about Vivian?" Mir asked, picking up Krista, "Hey, easy, you're hurt really bad. I'm going to patch you up, ok?"

"Kalista…took me  _away_ ," Krista seethed, anger flaring in her eyes, "I was going to  _help_! You  _took me from my Captain!_ "

 ** _"Vivian wished for you to escape. To tell Mir and Mya what happened,"_**  Kalista countered,  ** _"We…_ I _…did as she wished,"_**

"You should have left me," Krista hissed, ignoring Mir and Diana's healing, "I WOULD HAVE HELPED HER! SHE WOULD HAVE GOT AWAY!"

"Keep your voice  _down_!" Diana ordered, "We don't want them to find us,"

Krista whirled on her…right as something crashed through the window, landing in front of the trio.

"What's that," Mir said slowly.

Krista's eyes flashed in terror.

"Into the agoge! GO! NOW!"

The three Chosens rushed into the basement, Mir pulling the steel-reinforced door shut…right as the bomb that had been thrown into the house went off. The explosion threw Mir down the flight of stairs onto the concrete floor, shattering her shoulder. The Targonian Chosen howled as her fellows came to her, coughing as the dust finally settled.

"Can you stand?" Krista asked.

Mir gave a pain-filled nod and staggered upright, getting help from Mya.

"We have to get out of here," Krista growled, pulling out a pistol and flicking the safety off, "Mya, get your guns out. We might need you to lay down fire for us,"

Mya nodded and readied Pow Pow while Krista supported Mir the best she could.

"Alright… _GO!"_  Krista yelled and the three barreled up the stairs.

Krista raised her pistol-holding hand and pointed at the door, multiple spears of teal spirit fire shot towards the door, knocking it open and the two gun-wielding Chosens open fired, carving a way through the Hunters that had crowded around the agoge door.

"This is for Cira! And for David!" Mya yelled as one of her eyes flared pink, striking a balance with Jinx as the Loose Cannon let loose with her bullets.

Krista created more spears, sending them flying in every direction, pinning men to the floor, to the walls. She was dead set on leaving that house…

Until a sudden pain shot up her spine.

Krista shrieked and collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath as Mir cried out in pain, landing on her bad shoulder. The Scorn of the Moon and Spear of Vengeance could only look as Mya was brought down and subdued, as they picked up Mir and tied her up. Krista gave a snarl as the men came closer to her. The house rumbled and spears crunched through the floorboards, impaling those unlucky enough to be closest to Krista, showering the Shadow Isles Chosen with blood. There was another unholy shock in her system as they once more shot her with the Taser…

And Krista knew no more.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Chosens are like normal people, the difference is that we are stronger, faster, and often times smarter. Krista once compared it to a Fate Servant without the Noble Phantasm. And she would be right. However, we do have our limits._

"My back…" Krista groaned as she opened her eyes, getting assaulted with harsh white light and shielding her eyes, "Ugh my  _eyes_ …"

She tried to get up, her legs giving out on her and sending her right back down to the floor with her cheek against the icy cold concrete. Krista gave another attempt, clawing her way across the floor until she got to the door, grabbing at the steel rivets and hauling herself upright.

"Where  _are_  we?" she muttered, looking around the small window in the door.

 ** _"We do not know,"_**  Kalista told her.

"Then why don't we find out," Krista deadpanned, holding her hand out…only for nothing to happen, "What? Kalista?"

 ** _"Something…is not…right…"_**  the spectre mumbled almost sleepily.

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me," Krista ordered only to get met with silence, "Uh, Kalista? Hey! I know I was pretty mad at ya earlier, but still…"

Still no answer.

"Fine," Krista huffed, looking through the window again.

She could see vague forms of people in other cells. Her fellow Chosens perhaps? She didn't know. She'd catch a glimpse of blonde in one room, of black in another. The one ahead of her…her faintly beating heart went in her throat as she saw the familiar, red and silver streaked head of her commander.

"Viv!" Krista shrieked, banging on the door, "Viv! I'm here! Are you ok!? VIV!"

But Vivian didn't seem to hear her. The Spear of Vengeance raked her fingernails down the glass before her fingers formed into a fist. She saw the streak of blood that came down from a nasty gash on Vivian's temple. The Steel Shadow's eyes were half closed, giving her a slightly bored and 'out of it' look. Krista pounded her fist on the door before sliding down the door.

"Where are we…" she whispered.

She heard a door slam. Krista clawed her way upright, her legs still aching and wobbly from where she'd gotten Tased. Peeking through the window of her cell, she saw scientists and armed guards marching down the hallway. Every muscle in her body tensed as they approached her door, but they relaxed as she saw them walk right past her. They wanted  _someone_ …

But who?

* * *

Vesper huddled in the corner under the 'bed' they had given her. The six year old was arguably one of the youngest Chosens, but that didn't mean they would go easy on her. She cradled her arm, still in a crude cast that her father had made before she'd been separated from him.

She heard boots down the hall and she hunkered down even further, trembling as her breath started hitching. Tears of terror streaked down her face and she let out a whimper as she heard the lock on her door disengage.

"Zoe?" Vesper whispered, "Wake up…please…"

 _"Hnnnn 's not morning yet…"_  the Champion mumbled sleepily,  _"Sleepy…"_

Tears streaked down the six year old's face as she watched the booted feet enter her room. The bed was immediately picked up and thrown across the room. They reached for her…

 _"You are six now. It's time you learn how to defend yourself, Zoe Eos, Vesper Noble,"_  came the dim voice of her father,  _"These people will teach you how to fight. Like I was. Like your mother was. Like your Aunt was when we were all your age,"_

And that was when those long, hard months of training with the Rakkor kicked back in. Vesper immediately shot to her feet and bolted to the other side of the room, her weight balanced on the balls of her feet as she raised her little fists before her face in a block. First rule of fighting someone bigger than you, get far away and use your speed against theirs. The soldier laughed and lumbered after her, but Vesper wasn't having it. Wherever he went, she danced to the other corner, watching him. Finally, after a couple rounds of dodging, he had had enough and rushed her. Like a matador, Vesper dodged to the side, however, he must have been expecting it and he grabbed the Everchild, slamming her to the floor and knocking the wind out of her.

Vesper sucked air back in and started kicking and scratching.

"PUT ME DOWN!" the child shrieked as he picked her up, "LET GO!"

She sunk her teeth down into his hand, making him yelp in shock and drop her.

"Little  _brat_!" he roared as Vesper dodged under his arm and ran out the door, her bare feet pattering on the concrete as she yanked on a door handle, pulling with all her might before slipping into a room…

Where a suddenly alert Cira sat, battered, in the corner.

"Mama!" Vesper cried, rushing to her mother's side, trembling as the blinded Project held her, kissing her head repeatedly as she shook, "Mama don't let them take me! Please! I don't want to go!"

The soldier came into the room, and froze as Cira's head snapped up. A low, metallic snarl rumbled through the small space and the Project's circuits ignited an angry orange gold. Her eyes weren't blue, or gold or a mismatch of both…they were a cold, furious scarlet. Cira started trembling in rage and she strained against her chains, snarling as her sightless eyes bored into where she had heard the noise.

"Oh SH-!" the man immediately slammed the door shut and the Project calmed down, her eyes flickering back to a blued gold as she held her daughter, tears streaming.

"I'm sorry," Cira whispered, hugging Vesper tightly, "This is all my fault…I should have said  _no_ …"

Vesper buried her head in her mother's chest.

"Then I wouldn't have met you," Vesper told her as Cira kissed her daughter's head, "Mama…I'm scared,"

"…I am too," Cira admitted, holding her daughter closer.

The door opened again and Vesper hid behind her mother again. Cira gave a feral hiss as she shifted her weight to protect Vesper…only to shriek in agony as the electrode implanted on one of the finials of her helm gave a burst of electricity.

The First Chosen collapsed to the ground, writhing as a harsh, staticky language wailed from her vocalizer. Vesper shrieked as the soldiers quickly rushed in and grabbed her, dragging her from the room.

"MAMA!" she shrieked, struggling as they slammed the door shut and bolted it, "MAMA! NO!"

The pain subsided, but Cira was still seizing. She finally, tears dripping to the floor with slight hissing sounds, fell into darkness.

 _"I'm sorry…"_  she thought before her mind completely stopped.

* * *

Vesper kicked, scratched and bit all the way into the testing room where they finally strapped her down. A man came up to her and started sticking sensors to her skin. The little girl snapped at him, actually catching his fingers and scraping away some of his flesh, causing blood to smear across her face as he backhanded her.

"So, little Miss Troublemaker," the man started, shaking his hand, "Those portals you can make are pretty fascinating. How is it done,"

Vesper's brown eyes blazed angrily as one flared a mismatched blue and violet. She shook her head violently. He wasn't going to get anything out of her if she had anything to say about it.

"Oh, that's cute," the man laughed, "You think you're going to be brave for Mommy and Daddy aren't you,"

The little smirk on her face said it all.

"We're going to test that bravery. We've got some tests that we want you to do,"

Vesper shook her head, and then tilted it away with a little 'hmph!' The scientist, was not amused. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. She retaliated by sinking her sharp little teeth into the fleshy part of his palm. He hissed, cuffing her until she let go and frowned as she hissed back.

"Regular little lion cub aren't you," he muttered, "Then again, you're basically part Spartan…"

He turned to one of the soldiers.

"Take her to the color room,"

Vesper frowned. Colors? That couldn't be so bad…

* * *

A harsh shock jolted Cira awake. The First Chosen gasped and sputtered as static flared before her eyes and bright white light assaulted them.

Wait a second…

"I…can see?" she whispered, blinking.

She immediately tried to move, only to find out that she was still restrained, not by chains this time, but by cuffs that were bolted to the steel table. She felt eyes on her and she immediately looked to find the source. There were at least six armed guards, all of them pointing guns at her while a single scientist stood at the table side.

"Comfy?" he asked.

"Little drafty and  _dim_ ," Cira deadpanned, "So you're the one who took my eyes from me huh? Lemme guess, you gave them back.  _Why_?"

"Thought you'd want to see this," he gestured towards a window into a padded white room.

Cira's glass eyes flared as she saw Vesper, who was trying to get around the room with her arm still in her sling. She was clawing at the walls, kicking, anything. Cira watched as the door opened and two men in full white body suits came inside, setting a bowl of white rice on the floor. Vesper flew at them, grabbing their arms and seemingly begging for something. She watched as the little girl tried to get them to hit her, to  _say_  something. But she was merely shrugged off and left in the room, where she grabbed the bowl and threw it, scattering the rice all over the floor. The Aspect of Twilight gave a scream, soundless and silent.

"What are you doing?!" Cira demanded, straining, "LET HER GO!"

"We aren't doing anything. She's just in a room where there is no sound and no color," the scientist explained.

"Let her go!" Cira repeated.

"Once her time is up," he said, "She's been a troublemaker. Bit me twice and has caused much injury. Once she learns her lesson we'll take her out and if she's a good little girl, she won't go back in,"

"Why are you showing me this,"

"Because, you are going to determine  _how long she stays in there_ ,"

"What do you mean…?"

"You are… _special_ …among your kind. A Project. Simply put, I'm curious. I want to see how you  _work_. But, in order to do so, I need you to take down your firewall,"

"I don't know how,"

He turned to the two guards who were still in body armor.

"Two more hours," he told them.

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I'll try!" Cira begged, "I'll try…"

She was silent for a moment, her eyes dim before she seemed to snap out of it.

"There. You can get through," she whispered, "Please…let my daughter go,"

"She still has another hour left in there, you should be proud…she's been in there three already and hasn't gone completely crazy," the man smiled, getting a rumbling snarl from Cira.

He hit a button and the table Cira was strapped to suddenly moved, hiding Vesper from view and laying Cira so she was facing the ceiling.

"Now then…let's see what makes you tick, shall we?" he began, motioning for a tool table to be brought to the table side, "First…I want to see how hard that armor of yours is,"

Cira watched in growing dread as he picked up what looked to be a circular saw. He started it up and Cira began to struggle, finally giving an eerie shriek as the whirring blade touched the heavy armor at her chest. Sparks flew and Cira or Leona or both, none could tell, screamed. The screech from the saw and the howl from the Project were indistinguishable.

After about an hour or two of cutting, the scientist stopped the saw…and the two halves of Cira's chest armor fell to the ground with a loud clang. Cira was pale, sweat drenching her red-blonde hair almost a blood red. The scientist hummed, tapping his finger against his chest.

"So that's all that was…it was just armor. You look pretty human underneath that. And clothes…oh dear, I guess there was a way to take that off, wasn't there. Ah well, live and learn. Now, more tests,"

He picked up a scalpel and  _Leona_  started thrashing, cursing heavily in a language that resembled Greek but was off in more ways than one. Memories flooded back, of lightning in the water, of an arm shattered and then amputated, of months and months without sunlight…

She had escaped that Hell once before…and now she was back in it.

* * *

Vesper couldn't take it anymore. The white…the pounding of her own heart, the awful liquid sound of her own blood moving, her lungs breathing, her  _eyelids_  moving for heaven's sake! She finally resorted to laying on the ground in a little ball, trying to make  _any_  noise that wasn't her own body. She'd kicked the walls, thrown that stupid bowl of rice in hoping to get some sound…only ending with a dull  _thunk_. She'd begged the guards to hit her, to shout at her,  _anything_ …anything so she'd be able to hear or feel…

She was alone. Abandoned…just like those old voices always told her would happen. They were right…it was only a matter of time before even Cira and Arthur had abandoned her. That time was now.

The door hissed open and the guards came back in. Quick as a flash, Vesper seemed to teleport to them, grabbing onto their arms like a little leech. She was  _not_  going to let go. She wanted  _out_. She didn't even care when one of them knocked her on the head. She at least felt  _something_  as she drowned in darkness.

When she woke up, she was back on that stupid table, once again strapped down, but it wasn't  _white_. It was smooth silver and black and grey. Not white.

 _"We're…out?"_  Zoe whispered as Vesper started crying in relief.

The scientist who stuffed her in that horrible room came back up to her.

"Did we have a fun time in the color room?" he asked, getting a violent tremble from Vesper, "Now, if you be a good girl, you won't go back in there,"

Vesper nodded violently, her tears turning from relief to terror in an instant.

"Good, now, we're going to do some tests. Since we don't know exactly how your portals work, or how you're able to do them, we're going to test that," he started, rummaging on a desk and knocking something large off of it with a metallic clang, "Oh, clumsy me,"

He picked it up and Vesper's face turned pale as she saw it. It was an arm. A prosthetic one it looked like, but not made of plastic like one would think. It was completely made of metal, what looked to be heavy white and silver armor across the forearm while dark yellow/gold circuits traced through it.

"Oh, you like it?" he asked, giving a slightly sadistic smile, "Just recently got it,"

"That arm…" Vesper croaked, horror rising in her as he brought it closer.

She  _knew_  that arm. That arm had once held a blade that glowed with sunlight. That arm had once held her as a storm passed over. That arm rocked her to sleep after a nightmare…

It was her mother's arm.

And Vesper shrieked.

* * *

Cira bit her lip as pain rocketed through her system. She held her right shoulder…or what was left of it. That monster decided he wanted a sample, and wasn't content with taking her chest armor, which now was reattached with an ugly weld that went straight down her chest to her waist where it transitioned to another set of armor. The Project triangle, once glowing like a star, was now shattered, the glass now nothing but cruel shards.

She could feel the blood and oil mixture that still dripped from the multiple scalpel wounds on her midsection and chest. The monster had wanted to see if she still felt like a normal human being and…did some things that would have gotten him straight up murdered by Arthur.

Cira shuddered as she drew her legs up to her chest, tears streaking down her sightless eyes as she wrapped her remaining arm around her legs. He'd laughed at her pain, laughed at Vesper's pain. Her fist clenched and anger rose in her chest. If she got out of here…no,  _when_  she got out of here…

She even told him as he performed his tests, he would be the first person she'd willingly stab.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_We are like a family. Our loved ones are everything to us. Our fellow Chosens, our Champions, our families of blood, their blood families, our friends, their friends…there is nothing we wouldn't do for them._

Tests, day in and day out. Hours turned into days, days turned into weeks and weeks into months. But seeing the sun again or even breathing fresh air again was out of the question for the Chosens. And they all knew it.

Amelia blearily woke up restrained against a steel table.

 _"This again…"_  she thought bitterly as she rotated her sparking wrist in the cuff.

They'd tried getting answers out of her earlier, mostly questions about how she was different from the Overdrive Projects to which she refused to answer. Even when they took her leg.  _That_  had hurt, a lot.

She cast a look down to her missing appendage. It was still spitting sparks and dripping some mixture of blood and oil. They hadn't bothered to weld the wound shut, so she could only assume they didn't know or planned to do  _more_.

"Ashe?" Amelia finally asked as she felt some sort of stirring in her, "Are you awake,"

 _"My head…and my leg…what happened…"_  the Frost Archer moaned.

"You've been out for a  _long_  time if you're just now noticing that," Amelia stated, "They've been asking questions and testing and crap,"

_"And?"_

"I told them the truth. I don't know," she huffed, "Especially when they asked about your abilities,"

 _"…They_ do _realize that you are not me. At least…not fully. You didn't grow up with these abilities,"_

"Apparently not," Amelia huffed.

"Good morning, Miss Whitworth," a male voice stated, "Good morning…Frost was it?"

Amelia felt Ashe's anger flare. The Freljordian Queen didn't like it when someone referred to her by her Project designation. None of the Projects did. Too many bad memories.

"It's Ashe," the Frost Archer stated bitterly, her frosty gaze lasering in on the camera monitoring her, "Or 'Your Majesty' I'm not exactly picky,"

"Not what your profile here says, Frost Archer," the voice continued, "As I'm sure your Chosen has told you, we're going to be running some tests,"

"And if we don't comply?" Ashe hissed, frost starting to spread across the cuffs.

"Ah, ah, I see you trying to freeze your way out there. If you don't comply or attempt to escape without our say so…"

A light flicked on and the darkened window in front of her was now visible. Amelia's blood ran cold as she recognized the person strapped to a table facing her with multiple wires and sensors attached to him as he struggled. Matthew, Tryndamere's Chosen.

"Your beloved King gets quite the shock of his life,"

* * *

Matthew was definitely ticked off. It didn't help matters that his Champion happened to be one of the most volatile Champions of the League, but seeing Amelia strapped to a table before him, separated by glass, and beat up so badly that she barely looked recognizable?

That  _really_  made him mad.

Amelia's face was covered in bruises, her left eye was completely blackened and swollen shut, but that shouldn't have been much of a problem for her since Ashe was, as of now, blind in that eye on Runeterra. Her t-shirt was torn in some places and an odd mixture of golden oil and blood seeped through it, staining the snowy white armor red. But what tinted his vision red was the fact that his girlfriend, his Champion's  _wife_ , had her right leg torn off. The appendage was nowhere to be found, but it was still spitting sparks and dripping that blood/oil compound that apparently was common with Projects.

"Good morning, Mr. Hodges, I see you see your lovely girlfriend,"

And that was where Matthew blew up.

"LET HER GO YOU MONSTER BEFORE I RIP OUT YOUR SPLEEN, WRAP IT AROUND YOUR SPINE AND BEAT YOU WITH IT!" Matthew roared.

"Such violence," the voice scolded, "Fitting you have the most 'ragey' of Champions,"

"I'll show you  _ragey_ ," Matthew snarled, "Let me out of these restraints and I'll show you how  _ragey_  I can get!"

"Now now," the voice chastised, "We're going to see that soon enough. Why don't we get started with the tests?"

"GO TO HELL!"

"Wrong answer," the cool voice said.

Suddenly, the room before Matthew lit up with blue-white light. He could hear Amelia scream in agony as electricity arced down and struck her. Her glowing blue eyes were blindingly bright, her body writhed and spasmed as the bolts ate through her, conducting through her armor and into her still human skin.

"STOP!" Matthew shrieked, "LEAVE HER ALONE!"

The bolts stopped and the voice came back.

"If you behave and do as we ask. She won't get shocked again,"

"No tricks," Matthew snapped, "If you  _promise_  she'll be safe…fine, I'll do it,"

"Wonderful…I so love when couples agree to that. Because she agreed to do the same,"

* * *

Dianne was tired. Even more so than usual. It hurt that she couldn't go take her Marks, but the pain they were making her go through hurt even more. It seemed that what they were doing were tests on what she could endure before being "killed" as in, going back into her mask to recover.

The worst was when they brought in poisons. Both of them familiar. One was definitely Cassiopeia's venom, likely milked from the Lamia like how a normal snake would be. No snake venom burned like the Lamia's,  _that_  was for sure. No snake on Runeterra, no snake on Earth. Dianne had been injected with half a syringe of the venom before it 'killed' her. They left her alone for a couple hours after that so she could recuperate.

The second poison they tried, she'd actually watched them do. It was Eva's venom. Death's Chosen watched as guards came to her sister's cell. She watched as one of the men was suddenly thrown across the hall as a massive spider leg impaled his shoulder and whipped him around like a rag doll. She could only watch as they sent in more men to try and take her. Eva again put up a massive fight, but to Dianne's horror, it didn't last very long. She was able to see her sister's human arm laying on the floor in the doorway while her long dark hair pooled around it as the men walked out with a bottle.

Hours later, they came to Dianne and started attempting to poison her again. Eva's poison wasn't exactly  _deadly_ …but the hallucinogenic and paralytic qualities were quite potent. Dianne could not only move, but the horrifying images that accompanied it were enough to make her scream. She could see Eva, battered and bloodied, her long hair covering her face as she suddenly grabbed Dianne and  _begged_  her to shoot her. She could see her mother with a bloody hole torn through her chest as Wolf dove at her while telling Dianne to wake up. It took a few shots in order for it to be lethal, but it wasn't from the poison…it was from Dianne's heart giving out due to fear.

When she woke up after that…it was just in time to see a struggling Violet get clubbed over the head and shocked senseless before getting dragged out of her cell.

* * *

Violet woke up in a dark room and alone. The only light she could see was that of her own circuits that sputtered to life.

"Ugh, can we get the guy with a jackhammer to lay off, huh?" she groaned as she stumbled to her feet.

"Violet?" a familiar voice asked.

Violet turned around to see a second glow, a lighter gold than her own orange circuits.

"Cira!" Violet cried, starting towards the other Project, whose visor lit up in happiness as her sparring partner came closer, "Man, I thought you were  _gone_! What is this place?"

"I don't know," the Solari Chosen admitted as her circuits dimmed a tad, "How long…"

"You'd been missing for a few months when they got me," Violet told her, "I think it's been nearly a year and a half now,"

 _"Year and a half…"_  Cira croaked, tears rasping in her voice, "Violet…I…"

"Good to see you two are awake!" a cool voice said from a speaker above as the lights suddenly burst on.

Both Projects hissed in pain as their eyes had to suddenly adjust to the shift in light. After a few moments of temporary blindness, they found they were in a large room of concrete…and at the center were some  _very_  familiar objects. A pair of heavy looking metal gauntlets and a sword and shield.

Violet dashed to the pile and picked up her gauntlets, turning them over and inspecting them before hugging them to her chest.

"I missed you…" she muttered before turning to Cira, who had not moved and was instead staring at her right hand, moving it and clenching her hand into a fist a couple times, "Uh…Cira? Your sword and shield?"

Cira shook her head as if to clear it and looked up at her friend.

"Right…sorry, had something on my mind,"

"Get them and we can get the hell outta here," Violet told her, "I can punch our way out and with your shield…"

Cira picked up the weapons, feeling the familiar click and jerk as the shield magnetized to her arm. She picked up her sword, watching as the blade dimly glowed upon registering her presence, but it felt so strange to be holding it after she'd been armless not long after.

"Good, you have your things. Now…"

The lights shuttered, leaving a dim half light around the two. Both Projects stood back to back in ready positions.

"You two are the strongest among the Projects. As in, you can take a bit more damage. We want to see who really is the stronger one. Fight,"

"HA! You think we're going to fight for your amusement," Violet jeered, her visor snapping over her eyes.

"This isn't  _Gladiator_ ," Cira added, "We will not be your entertainment,"

"You misunderstand," the voice said.

A piercing sound tore through the room. Static danced and snowed over the two Project's visions as they collapsed to the ground, covering their audial receptors in agony. Cira was curled up in a tight ball as she clawed at the finials of her helm, shrieking. Violet's back arched off the ground as she held her head, thrashing back and forth violently. Error messages blazed across both visors as the Brawler and the Tank screamed.

It ceased, finally, and the two relaxed, shuddering.

"Now that we have your attention, I want you to look at these here,"

Two images flashed on the Projects' visors. Violet's face drained of blood as she saw a black haired young woman sitting against the wall with an annoyed expression and a young man with dark hair and orange-ish eyes staring at the camera, right into Violet's eyes. Cira dropped her sword as she saw a brown-haired little girl huddled underneath the bed, trembling like a leaf in a storm and a blond man pacing like a caged lion in his cell.

"The winner of this duel will get to see their loved ones for a short amount of time. The loser…will see them punished horrifically,"

A tear streaked down Cira's face as she picked up her sword.

"Cir-" Violet started only to yelp and dodged out of the way as the golden blade swiped at where her head had been, "WHAT THE H-!"

"I'm sorry, Violet," Cira apologized as she set her feet, bringing her shield up and putting her sword on the shield's beam, "But Vesper's suffered enough, and I don't want Arthur to get hurt. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to destroy you. I can't risk them getting hurt,"

Violet stared at the other Project, whose face was unreadable behind that visor. She gave a huffing sigh and brought up her fists, the gauntlets turned on, glowing a savage, dark orange that deepened to red as they charged.

"Sorry Cira, but I ain't going down that easy," she growled, "I've got loved ones too,"

"Then this will be good," Cira stated as Violet charged her.

The Brawler slammed her fist against the shield, driving Cira back a couple steps, but other than that, the Tank showed very little movement. Once she stopped, Cira shoved forwards with the shield, knocking Violet off balance for a moment before coming around and kicking the smaller Project in the head, sending her flying.

Violet dug her fingers into the floor and used the momentum to pick herself back up. She was then promptly sucker punched by Cira's shield, who had appeared in a flash of gold as she swung her sword back. Violet dove between the other Project's legs and kicked her in the back, sending Cira stumbling forwards.

 _"Look for weaknesses, Violet!"_ Vi ordered,  _"She's got 'em. Leo's slow for one. She's just got that one dash and she's out. Just dance around her!"_

"Right," Violet nodded.

Cira rushed at her again, Violet dodged out of the way…and noticed something. Cira was babying her right arm.

"Got you now," Violet muttered as Cira jammed her sword into the concrete and used it to stop herself.

The other Project whirled around preparing to do her assault again…when Violet charged  _her_. Caught off guard, Violet grabbed Cira, launched her into the air and threw her down to the ground, cratering the floor. Cira brought up her shield and whalloped Violet in the head, throwing her off. The bigger Project bore down on the smaller one with a warcry…right as Violet wound up a punch and struck Cira in her right arm right at her shoulder. Cira shrieked in pain, dropping her sword and Violet tackled her, whaling on her repeatedly. Cira caught her hand once and squeezed, denting the gauntlets.

Violet noticed tears streaking down the other Project's face.

"Please…" Cira begged, "Violet…"

"I'm sorry," Violet ground out as she freed her hand and smashed her fist into Cira's visor, shattering it and knocking the older Project unconscious.

The Piltover Enforcer gave a shriek of triumph and anger as she collapsed in on herself. Tears streamed down her face as she heard the door hiss open.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm  _sorry_ …" Violet wept, "I couldn't let them…I'm sorry Cira…"

* * *

Arthur struggled against his captors. He'd already taken out one of them under Pantheon's guidance.  _That_ guy wasn't going to be getting up anytime soon.

They threw him into a room and Arthur whirled around, trying to get to them before they slammed the door shut. He gave a snarl of anger and slammed his fist on the door.

"COME BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME LIKE MEN YOU COWARDS!" he roared.

"Arthur?"

Arthur's blood drained and he whipped around to see Cira, who stood on the other end of the room.

"Ci…" he croaked before rushing towards her, sweeping her into his arms and giving her a searing kiss, "Oh Lord…thank you…"

He held Cira to his chest as she started sobbing, clinging to him as he lifted her head and kissed her once again, no less passionately than the first time. He could taste the bitter edge of metal underneath her, but he didn't care. He had his Cira back.

"Arthur you need to  _leave_ ," Cira sobbed.

"I'm not leaving you again," he growled, holding her close as she sobbed into him, "I swear,"

"I don't want to see you get hurt…" she whispered, "I don't understand…I lost. Why am I…"

A sharp tone, high enough that Arthur couldn't hear it but  _she_  could, tore through the air. Cira shrieked and grabbed at her head again, clawing at the helm and scratching it with her fingers.

"Cira?!" Arthur demanded, grabbing her shoulders, "What's wrong, what's happening?!"

"Nonononono," Cira begged as the sound pitched higher, "NO PLEASE! DON'T MAKE ME! PLEASE!"

**"PROJECT: DAWN online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Artisan of War Pantheon Atreus and Chosen Arthur Jonson,"**

"N- **No…"**  Cira gasped one last time as she went to a knee, and as her eyes went from a blued gold to a cold, furious scarlet.

"Cira…" Arthur started, holding up his hands as he cautiously approached his fiancée, "Are you alright?"

She made no move, still in her crouching, huddled position. He reached out to touch her…when she suddenly exploded into motion. She grabbed him by the hair and slammed him into the ground, snarling. She threw him to the ground once more before kicking him in the side and sending him flying into a wall.

Arthur gasped in pain, holding his side as he scrambled to his feet. Cira prowled towards him, her scarlet gaze unflinching.

 _"Hunter,"_  Pantheon growled as Arthur's foot brushed against something.

His heart soared somewhat as he scooped up his spear and shield…and just in time. Cira roared, swinging her sword at his head. He blocked her, barely, the heavy broadsword jarring his arm. He pushed her back with his shield and jabbed at her.

"Cira, come on, it's me. You know me," he pleaded, dodging out of the way as she rushed him.

He got a snarl in response.

 _"We cannot reason with her,"_ Pantheon told him, though his voice sounded pained,  _"We have to knock her unconscious or…"_

Arthur yelled as her shield slammed into his stomach, he felt something break inside him. Probably a rib, maybe something worse.

She fell back, hiding behind her shield for a moment, Arthur roared and charged forwards knocking her shield aside with his own. She staggered slightly and Arthur went at her, jabbing his spear at her, it connected with her shoulder and she gave a bloodchilling howl, screeching something in a language that he didn't know. She dove at him, kicking him down and stomping on his head. Arthur scrabbled at her foot, grabbing it and twisting, sending her off the side. Arthur blinked blood out of his eyes as he painfully got to his feet…

Only for Cira to fly at him again, this time grabbing his throat and pinning him to the ground, choking him. Arthur pushed at her face, trying to get her to let go…which she did…only to slam her shield repeatedly into his face. After a few moments of brutal bashing, Arthur's face was a mess. He was barely breathing and wasn't struggling or trying to shield his face anymore. Cira got up and grabbed him by the shirt, hoisting him high and pinning him to a wall. She raised her blade, poised to stab his heart.

Arthur weakly raised his hand and touched Cira's cheek, feeling the soft metal plate that gave the illusion of skin.

"…I still love you…" he whispered, a tear streaking from his good eye.

The scarlet eyed Hunter paused, blue and gold flickering through the red as a  _tear_  streaked down her cheek and her hand shook.

 **"I-** I **'m**  s-s-so **rr** y," came the strangled, garbled language with English mixed in.

Arthur gave a weak smile as his hand fell and the blue and gold rushed back in. She shook her helm and raised her blade again…

Right as electricity arced over her frame, making her shriek and release Arthur. The other Chosen hit the ground and he had enough time to watch as Cira hit the ground beside him, thrashing and howling in pain. He painfully dragged himself to her side and put his arm over her body before darkness took him.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_Never underestimate what a Chosen is willing to do or go through to save either their own life or the lives of those they love. Some of us have suffered more than others because of that fact._

Krista had just managed to somewhat calm her mind enough to go to sleep when she was woke back up with a splash of cold. The dripping wet Spear of Vengeance shrieked as she sat up and held out her hand for a spear…only for, once again, nothing.

She rolled to her feet, putting her fists up as she went back on her Delta training, daring them to come for her. But, they learned from the last time they dealt with her and just shot her with a stun gun. She didn't go unconscious, but her body refused to work or do what she was mentally screaming at it to do. It was like being crippled all over again…

Krista didn't know how she got to their testing chamber, only that she did. Perhaps she did fall asleep because when she was able to move again, she wasn't in her cell and was instead strapped to a table.

"I wonder…" she muttered, rotating her wrist and twitching her fingers.

There was a faint sputter of teal light and a thin form of a spear started to appear. She grinned and closed her eyes, concentrating harder. She wasn't in that cell, her powers were starting to come back…

And then the door opened.

Krista dismissed the spear hurriedly, she didn't want them to get suspicious until she was  _sure_  she could get out. She could feel Kalista shift uncomfortably within her.

"What is it?" Krista muttered softly.

**_"We sense someone beyond the wall. We do not like the aura he gives,"_ **

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it looks like someone finally woke up," one of the men said.

"Haven't been asleep, dunno what you're talking about," Krista deadpanned, "Look I like what you've done with the place, but seriously, you need to get an interior designer. It doesn't say 'I'm an evil scientist who tortures little kids'. And I  _know_  you have. I saw you drag Vesper past my door multiple times,"

"Someone seems a little cranky," a female scientist tsked, "I think someone needs a little more sleep, what do you think?"

"I agree," the man said.

"Well I don't," Krista hissed as a couple soldiers came towards her with what looked like an oxygen mask, "Don't  _touch_  us!"

There was a crackle of teal light.

"Get back!" the male scientist yelled, but he was too late for one of the soldiers.

A spear materialized from nowhere and skewered the man, pinning him to the wall by his neck, a slow gurgling sound coming from his ruined throat. Krista shrieked and thrashed as the soldiers rushed her, pinning her hands down so she couldn't summon more spears and forced the oxygen mask on her face. The woman held her breath, her grey eyes spitting sparks as she refused to take a breath. One of the soldiers sucker punched her in the stomach and Krista gasped involuntarily, taking in a big gulp of the anesthetic.

A few more moments of violent struggling…before the struggling and smacking started to slow, becoming less frequent. And the fire in the former soldier's eyes began to die as her eyelids fluttered shut.

"She's out, finally. Jeeze that one's stubborn," the male scientist grumbled.

"Not surprising," the female rolled her eyes, "Alright, controlling the melatonin levels…and there. We have complete control over what she'll see. Well, at least a good portion of it. It'll be her memories for the most part, but…"

The screen flickered depicting a scene unfamiliar to them.

"Where is  _that_?" the male scientist asked.

"…I don't know,"

* * *

Krista opened her eyes, smelling pancakes and…syrniki and kolbasa? She sat up, the bedsheets falling from her as she swung her feet to the floor, shivering slightly as they touched the cool wood floorboards. She didn't recognize this place, not the pale stone walls, not the candles or even the sound of gulls calling through the window. That was when she heard the voice.

_"Kak uzor na okne. Snova proshloe ryadom. Kto-to pel pesnyu mne, V zimnii vecher kogda-to,"_

Krista's blood froze as she recognized the voice and she hurriedly got off the bed.

" _Slovno v proshlom ozhilo. Ch'ih-to berezhnyh ruk teplo. Val's izyskannyh gostei. I beg lihih konei."_

She promptly got herself entangled around some sheets and fell flat on her face, but after struggling, managed to free herself.

" _Val's kruzhil i nes menya. Slovno v skazku svoyu manya. Pervyi bal i pervyi val's. Zvuchat vo mne seichas."_

She ran down the stairs and froze as she saw a familiar form standing at the stove in the kitchen. Krista's bare feet padded on the tile, a far cry from the almost medieval setting she'd been put in earlier. The woman at the stove was tall and slender, graceful. Years and  _years_  of being a  _prima ballerina_  in Russia made her that way. Her long dark hair tumbled down her back in a thick black waterfall.

" _Zerkala v yantare. Moi vostorg otrazhayut. Kto-to pel na zare. Dom rodnoi pokidaya. Budesh' ty v delante. Bnov' sa mnoi, daragaia,"_

Krista's throat closed but she managed to get one word out.

"…Mama…" she breathed.

Anya Rhon turned around, a smile on her heart-shaped face as her grey eyes lit up.

" _Malyy balerina!"_  she smiled, coming over to hug her daughter, "You woke up!"

And that was when Krista hit the floor, giving deep, heaving sobs as she held her mother close. Anya frowned, stroking her daughter's hair.

"Krista? What is wrong? You act as if you have not seen me in years!"

"Y-You're h-here…" Krista sobbed, "Y-you're alive…"

"Of course I'm alive!" her mother scoffed, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Krista opened her mouth to reply when she saw a shadow enter the other doorway…and her heart stopped again.

"Anya, Krista, is everything alright?" Christopher Rhon asked, coming in.

" _Da_ …I think…" Anya frowned, "Krista, it was just a bad dream. That car accident was scarring. That be for sure,"

Krista mutely stared as her father came closer, kneeling down on the floor and putting a hand on his daughter's shoulder. He wasn't expecting to get tackled by her, knocked to the floor as she gave a heartbreaking wail and hugged him tightly.

"Don't leave me…not again…please…" Krista begged, "I can't…I can't do that again…"

"Again? What are you talking about, I haven't left either of you," Christopher blinked.

 _"Nightmare,"_  Anya mouthed and her husband gave an understanding nod as Krista let him up, the latter still weeping.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I won't," he told her, helping Krista to her feet and holding her close, "Go on and get dressed, we're going to have a picnic on the beach today,"

"…Beach?" Krista asked.

" _Da_ ," her mother chuckled, "The beach you grew up next to, learned how to swim in  _malyy balerina_ ,"

Krista looked at her parents strangely. She grew up in Texas.  _Far_  from the coastline. She shook her head and then gave a nod, walking back up the unfamiliar yet familiar stairs to her room. As she was getting ready…she took a moment to actually look at herself in the mirror. It was still her. The same sharp, angular features, the same mist-grey eyes flecked with teal, the same toned form from years of life in the Army…yet, there was something missing. Something she'd come to associate herself with and without it she felt naked.

The ragged scar on her chest, where she'd been backstabbed, was missing.

Not faint, because it was always an angry red to remind her of the betrayal…but completely  _gone_. Nothing but smooth skin lay on her chest.

Were her parents right? Was it all a nightmare? Harry, Vivian, Kalista, Cira…were they even real? Or just fleeting figures of her dreams and nightmares?

She shook her head as she finished getting dressed and ran out the door to the beach, feeling the soft sand between her toes and the sun on her skin. Who cared? She had her family back. For once in her life since her father died…

She was truly happy.

* * *

"I can't tell what's her and what's the spectre," the female scientist huffed, "Their memories are too mashed together,"

"End it. We'll go with plan B," the male sighed.

"Can't guarantee she'll be in her right mind when she gets out…"

"It'll just be easier on him,"

"Alright then,"

* * *

Krista gave a cry of joy as she and her father splashed in the surf, kicking water up at each other while her mother laughed from the shore on the blanket.

"You two having fun over there?"

"I can't hear you over all the fun I'm having!" Christopher quipped back, making Krista laugh, "Eh, let's go back. I'm hungry,"

"Alright," Krista smiled, sloshing through the water back to the shore and then flopping on the beach towel next to her mother, who gently stroked a lock of hair from Krista's forehead.

 _"Ya lyublyu tebya,_  Krista," her mother murmured.

 _"Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu,_ " Krista responded back as her father sat down next to them.

A chill ran down Krista's back and the woman sat up, looking around.

"Krista?" her father asked as she stood, "What's wrong?"

"Someone's here," she muttered, looking around.

She froze as she saw another woman, someone who looked strikingly similar to her, the only differences being that her eyes were a teal color specked with grey and the fact that she was dressed completely in armor. The woman raised a hand, pointing behind Krista.

Krista's heart leaped in her throat.

" _Kalista_ …" she thought before whirling around and seeing a shadowy figure rushing towards her father.

"DAD!" she cried, rushing the man and tackling her father out of the way.

She and her father hit the ground, and Krista's hands skidded around in the sand looking for her gun she'd always had near her. Her hand closed around a grip and she flicked off the safety, firing three shots into the attacker's back. He fell into the sand, motionless.

"Are you alright?" she asked her father.

"I'm fine," he told her, examining the knife the assassin had, "Poisoned. I don't recognize it at…all…"

" _Malyy_   _Balerina_ …" Anya stammered, and Krista's blood went cold as she looked at her mother, seeing blood seeping from her fingers.

"Anya!" Christopher yelled, rushing to his wife as her knees buckled and catching her before she hit the ground, "Krista, go find help! Hurry!"

Krista gave a nod and started running. She saw the same familiar form of Kalista, almost like a stop motion memory, climbing up a cliff face and she knew… _that_  was where she needed to go. She followed the living shade of the Champion, walking in her footsteps until she reached a garden full of beautiful flowers and trees. A man in a dusky robe stood before the fountain.

"My mother's been hurt…poison," Krista gasped, "Please…you have to help her,"

"Your noble heart and good soul have been found worthy, Lady Rhon. There is a better path up here," the man said, giving her a map, "Here,"

Krista thanked him and ran back down to the beach…only to stop short as she saw her father mourning over her mother's still, cold body. She numbly approached the two, falling to her knees.

"Did you find it!?" her father asked.

"Yeah, there was a garden…"

"Let's go then,"

"It's too late…" she whispered, "She's gone, they can't help…"

"Don't say that!" her father yelled, "Tell me where they are!"

"I  _can't_ ," she told him, "She's dead, Dad, there's no use bringing a dead body to them!"

Her father's face flashed with horrible rage…but then it stopped, becoming calm.

"At least…let me bury her in the garden," he pleaded.

A horrible feeling of déjà vu settled in Krista's heart, but she nodded, getting up and helping her father to his feet. The father and daughter duo carried the mother up to the garden, all the while Krista was seeing flashes of the Champion, almost begging her to stop. But Krista wouldn't. After all…it was just a burial.

However…once they got there, Krista realized that she should have listened to the Champion. She watched as her father argued with the man, demanding that he bring back Anya. The man kept refusing and finally Christopher turned to his daughter.

"Kill him," he ordered.

"What?!" Krista sputtered.

" _Kill him_!" her father roared.

Krista gave him a disgusted look and threw her pistol away.

"No," she said calmly, "Dad, you're not thinking right. You're hurting. I know that better than anyone. Do you  _know_  how many comrades I've lost? You're acting out of grief. You wouldn't do that in your right…"

There was a harsh report and pain exploded in Krista's chest. The woman collapsed to her knees, staring at the smoking gun in her father's hands and then at her ruined chest.

She fell to her side, watching as the brilliant blue sky suddenly turned a nasty black color. Krista tried to get back up…but fell down once again as she saw her hands. Not pale white skin…

But a translucent blued-green that glowed.

* * *

Krista jerked awake, still in her restraints, still strapped to a table.

"Ah, you're awake," the male scientist started, "Sweet dreams?"

Krista glared at him, if looks could kill…

**_"Krista,"_ **

The young woman relaxed slightly.

"Good to hear you again," she muttered.

**_"We never left…not even during that dream,"_ **

"I'm glad you didn't,"

"Oh, you're talking to each other, that's sweet. You two have a pretty close bond, huh?" the male scientist asked, only to get yet another chilling glare from the Spear of Vengeance, which, he ignored, "I'm curious about your bond. You didn't join like a regular Chosen. You seem like very good friends."

Silence from the Chosen.

"I have a friend too," the scientist started, "You two are going to spend a  _good_  amount of time with him,"

The door opened and a man in black with a white collar came in. Krista felt Kalista tense up.

"Hello, Father, I'm so glad you could be here," the scientist greeted.

"Anything to help this poor soul," the priest nodded, voice thick with an Irish brogue.

Krista gave an unamused look.

"Oh my God did I fall out of League of Legends and land right into  _The Exorcist?_ "

 ** _"We do not like him, Krista,"_**  Kalista repeated as the scientist and priest talked for a bit.

Krista gave a sly grin.

"I'm gonna troll him," she smirked.

**_"Krista,_ ** **no _…"_**

"And how exactly are you going to stop me? Take control again? That'll just set him off,"

Kalista gave an annoyed growl as the priest came over to her.

"Hello, child, I am Father Alex Anderson," the priest started.

"Anderson…like  _Hellsing_  Alexander Anderson? Oh that's cool," Krista smiled, "Your name is awesome, Padre, you know. I'm Krista Rhon. Anyways…to be honest, I have  _no_  idea why you're here. So if you could tell this bozo to just let me and my friends go, that would be  _awesome_  since we're basically being held here against our wills,"

"I have good faith that that is not true, child. That you know why I am here," Father Anderson said, "There is a great evil in you, and I am here to get rid of it,"

Krista's face turned annoyed.

"Welp, I tried being nice," she deadpanned.

The priest looked over Krista for a moment before muttering to himself.

"Strong…strong indeed. Strongest spirit I have seen and exorcised in years,"

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Krista smirked, "Especially with her. Empty promises are things she hates,"

"Then I will promise this, child, I will set you free from this evil spirit,"

Krista gave a bark of laughter, chilling and dead.

"We'd like to see you  _try_ ," she grinned, "It's an excellent day for an exorcism,"

"You would enjoy that?"

"Intensely," Krista chuckled, wanting to see how far she could push him.

"But wouldn't that drive you out of this girl?"

"I'm speaking to you, not Kalista. It would bring us together,"

"You and the demon?"

"You and  _us_ ," Krista smirked as she saw his face whiten slightly, "Oh, Padre, I'm messing with you. Lighten up,"

"Pray tell, child, how did you end up in this predicament with this spirit?"

"I lost a fiddle playing contest,"

One of the soldiers gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like laughter.

"This is far worse than I thought if you are merely joking about your immortal soul. Spirit, I command you to leave this child of God!" the priest ordered.

"And  _we_  command you to release us," Krista countered, "Also, no way,"

Undeterred, the Father Anderson spoke again.

"Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…"

Krista's nails raked the table and she looked like she was in pain. The scientists and soldiers all stared in shock as she went rigid, shaking and giving an almighty shriek as Father Anderson kept going, reciting the Lord's Prayer, a Hail Mary…

The shriek suddenly stopped and so did the father. Krista gave a sigh.

"Hm…nope not feeling it. Not today," she shrugged, "Good try though, keep it up, Padre,"

The priest's face turned a slight red as Krista gave a cocky grin.

"You  _do_  realize I'm trolling you, right?" she asked, "No? Geeze, you guys are dumb,"

"I hoped that I didn't have to use this, Child," the priest said, pulling out a container and uncapping it.

"Oh  _please_  tell me that's not…" she blinked.

"The power of Christ compels you!" the priest shouted, spattering Krista with water.

"OH GOD THAT'S COLD!" Krista yelled, "Seriously!?"

"Do not despise my command because you know it to be a sin. It is God himself who commands you, the majestic Christ who commands you," Father Anderson continued, flicking Holy Water on Krista, who continued to flinch as it hit her, "God the Father who commands you. God the Son who commands you. God the Holy Spirit who commands you. The blood of the martyrs commands you!"

He kept getting closer and closer.

Suddenly the girl's eyes flooded with white and her skin glowed with a blued-green unlight while three spears rent through her back.

 **"Leave _my_  Chosen _alone_!"**  Kalista snarled, flicking her wrist and causing multiple spears to materialize, cracking into the floor and barring the priest from her as the Mist began to materialize.

The Priest stumbled back as shrieks tore through the air and flashes of teal lightning appeared, a single spear materialized and tore right through Father Anderson's hand, shattering the vial of Holy Water against the wall.

 **"We will tell you this once, holy man,"**  the Spear of Vengeance hissed,  **"Our Chosen willingly gave herself to us to save her life. She is our living vessel. We are not malignant. We are _vengeance_ ,"**

The priest gave a defeated sigh and turned to the scientist.

"I cannot save her soul, I am sorry,"

"Don't worry Father, it was a longshot. Thank you for coming anyways,"

Father Anderson turned back to the furious Spear of Vengeance and spoke one last time.

"May God have mercy on your immortal soul,"

Kalista relinquished control and Krista gave a smug grin.

"So. Now whatcha gonna do now that the Padre couldn't separate us?" she purred.

"Oh we'll think of something. Honestly, you're going to be wishing that that  _did_  work," the scientist shrugged, gesturing over at table with instruments on it.

Krista's eyes narrowed.

"You can't do this," she said.

"What makes you say that?"

"I'm an American Veteran and a citizen. By our laws you can't…"

"And wrong,"

Icy dread crawled down Krista's spine.

"What?" she asked.

"You might be a veteran, yes. But, you are not a citizen," the man said, "You're technically not even from Earth anymore. Therefore, all your rights are out the window. I have proof, right here, giving me the ok to experiment,"

He held up a paper close enough for Krista to read…and her pale skin went even paler.

"So, as I said…you're going to wish the exorcism worked,"

* * *

Krista didn't even fight as they dragged her back to her cell. The poor woman was beaten, bruised and bloodied, but it wasn't her physical wounds that hurt the most. It was the feeling of being backstabbed and betrayed for the very country she had fought and bled for.

 ** _"Krista,"_**  Kalista started,  ** _"Please, speak,"_**

"What point is there," she muttered, drawing her knees to her chest, "Kalista…I've been betrayed twice now,"

The spectre said nothing and Krista closed her eyes. She remembered the moment on the cliffside, where Lenny, Vivian, Amber and herself had been attacked. She remembered getting shot and Amber healing her…when something caught her attention and she latched onto it.

"'Despite the fact that her being among the living strains us…and our power is not as strong'" Krista breathed, "Kalista…are you being handicapped by me?"

She felt the wraith give a sigh.

 ** _"In a way, yes. Much of our power is lessened because you are alive,"_**  Kalista stated,  ** _"But, that is what makes you endear to us…to me. We can feel again, taste again, we have so much more…"_**

"And you've still lost so much," Krista deadpanned, "Why didn't you tell me?"

**_"Because it was not relevant and we did not feel it was a good thing,"_ **

Krista held a hand to her chest, feeling a harsh burning as she did. She pulled on her shirt, and Mist coalesced around her hand, hardening and forming into a blackened spearhead.

"I pledge my soul to you, Lady of Vengeance," she murmured.

Kalista's spirit perked up.

**_"Krista…what are you doing?"_ **

"I've been betrayed by everything I hold dear. I have nothing left," she continued, ignoring her Champion, "With my final breaths, I give my soul to you, my friend, my Champion. Let justice…"

 ** _"KRISTA!"_**  Kalista shrieked.

"Be done," Krista finished, turning the spearhead so that the point faced her chest and immediately rammed the point home.

There was no Kalista to stop her, there was no Lamb or Wolf to take her soul. But, they would have no choice but to give her to Kindred because of the damage. Mist whirled around her and Krista felt weak as she collapsed to the floor, splashing in her own blood as her control over her legs left her and her bullet wound opened back up. She felt something leave her and she looked up to see the stern,  _furious_  and yet very bewildered form of her Champion before her.

 **"Why did you do this?!"**  Kalista demanded, standing before her Chosen, who was currently on her hands and knees coughing up blood.

"You have two choices," Krista finally rasped, looking up at her Champion, "accept my pledge…or we die,"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_We are not meant to be kept in cages. It does things to us, being trapped and separated from one another. We become unpredictable. And those who don't plan for that…learn how devastating and how deadly that can really be._

"I thought we weren't supposed to go in that room by ourselves?" a soldier asked.

"Nah, it's totally safe. Besides," his partner replied, unlocking the door, "I've got  _this_ ,"

He hefted up a heavily dented disk of metal in his hands.

"Just as a reminder,"

The soldiers entered the room, seeing a chained female form huddled in the corner, her head on her kneecaps. She flinched as the man tossed the metal disk in front of her. She looked like she was going to animate…but then caught sight of the disk. Three feet across burnished bronze with a silver 'V', it was heavily dented and battered and scarred with flecks of white paint that matched up perfectly with the copper marks on the female's knuckles.

She stared at the shield, transfixed almost. She reached a shaking hand out before drawing it back to her chest as if the shield burned her.

"See," the second soldier replied, "Just needed that,"

"Yeah…"

The second soldier came up to Cira, who still stared at the shield, trembling.

"You know…you're the one who killed him," he told her.

Silence from her, save for the slight scrape of armor against the concrete.

"All you are is a bunch of ones and zeroes. It's easy to manipulate that. As you very well know," he continued, "You're not human. You're just a computer trying to imitate a soul,"

More silence from Cira, the first soldier noted that there was what looked like tears forming behind the half visor.

"Well? What do you say to that?"

Again, she said nothing and he shoved her, knocking her flat on her side. Cira didn't move save to curl up on herself and make herself a smaller target.

"WELL? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY PROJECT?!" he demanded, kicking her repeatedly as she flinched, but again said nothing, "Tch, typical  _machine_. Never doing anything unless told t-"

He stopped as his radio crackled to life.

 _"Report to Cell 13,"_  a voice ordered,  _"There's been a disturbance,"_

"Let's go," his friend started, feeling uncomfortable at seeing the one Chosen they'd really been warned about just…not caring.

"Fine…" the soldier huffed before turning back to the silent Project, "Hey.  _Machine_. Your partner? The Spartan? I bet he never really loved you,"

He kicked the shield towards her, cursing as the heavy metal bit through his boot and stubbed his toe. The two went out the door and shut it behind them. The first man, the watcher, stopped as he heard a faint scraping sound in the cell. He looked inside…

Just to see Cira hugging the shield to her chest and sobbing heavily.

* * *

When they arrived at the cell, they saw a bunch of men standing before it, guns pointed at the door.

"What's going on?" the first soldier asked, coming up and looking through the glass of the door…

And seeing nothing. Nothing but swirling blackness in the glass pane.

"What the…"

"We don't know," one of the others said slowly, "Her heart rate just…stopped. The cameras had gone out right before it stopped too. So no idea what's going on. We all get here and…that,"

"Lemme guess…we're going to have to go in, aren't we?"

"Yep…"

"There's no other way we can monitor her, is there…?"

"Nope,"

"So…who is going in?" the soldier asked.

Silence among the ranks. No one wanted to go in…but…there was no choice.  _Someone_  had to go in there and make sure she was still  _there_.

"Grunts first," a superior soldier ordered, "I'll enter with you. Shoot to kill if she tries anything,"

"Yes sir!" came the agreement from at least six soldiers.

The superior came closer to the door and opened it, letting the mist pool out like water, swirling around their feet and seeming to reach up to them, wanting to drag them down into the depths.

"Let's go,"

The men waded through the wall of Mist, entering the cell. Again, they saw nothing…couldn't even hear anything through the Mist. It swallowed all sound, even made their own heartbeats seem deadened.

Suddenly, through the gloom, they saw a thin wisp of teal-blue light, elongating as three more half bars formed a fork in the darkness…and then two icy white eyes shone through.

The soldiers outside heard nothing from their comrades at first, just saw the Mist whirling lazily through the doorway…and then the screaming came. Flashes of teal light burned through the Mist like lightning, illuminating shadows of the soldiers inside as they fell or as something flashed past them. One of their comrades flew out the door and into the wall. He didn't have time to get to his feet before not one, not two, but  _five_  spears impaled him to the concrete so far that only a finger's span of the haft was left of each spear. And then…the screams silenced.

They all readied their guns, watching the portal in horror as the mist seemed to recede…and then reformed into a tall, slender woman with raven-black hair and glowing silver- _white_  eyes, three spears of teal light rent through her back as a more substantial spear pierced through her chest, dyed black with dried blood.

"OPEN FIRE!"

The guns fired, the woman did not seem to care as the bullets phased right  _through_  her. She gave a wry grin and suddenly disappeared in a wisp of Mist. One of the soldiers suddenly dropped his gun, grabbing at the spear of spirit fire that tore through his chest, the woman standing before him as she ripped it out and whirled it to her side, sending blood spattering the area. The other soldiers turned around and started firing, only for her disappear once again.

She reappeared on another soldier, kicking him down to the ground as she clenched her fist, causing spears to pierce through the floor, impaling him on a grotesque pole. She disappeared again, reappearing and disappearing in wisps of mist. Krista grabbed a soldier's gun from his hand and shot him in the temple before turning the gun towards the other soldiers, taking them out with well placed shots.

"We should have done this years ago," Krista scoffed, picking up a couple of the guns and slinging them around her shoulders.

 ** _"Perhaps…"_**  Kalista admitted,  ** _"But there is a certain novelty with having a living host,"_**

"Probably. But, this is something we…I…don't mind," she huffed, opening the door to a cell and revealing a disgruntled Vivian sitting on her cot as Krista saluted her, "Evening, Major,"

" _Krista_?" Vivian sputtered, "What… _how_ ,"

"Don't ask, just take arms," Krista stated, tossing her a gun, "Give 'em a taste of their own medicine,"

Vivian gave a grin as she caught the gun.

 _"Gladly_ ," she smiled as she got up and followed Krista out the door.

"I'm going to get the other military Chosens out," Krista said, "Lenny, Amber, Kaiden, Andreas, Brandon, Mikayla…and the traitor,"

"As much as I hate having him, he is a good shot," Vivian admitted.

"Cover me,"

"Always," Vivian nodded, taking shots as more soldiers rounded the corner and Krista ran down the hall searching for those specific Chosens.

* * *

Arthur heard people out in the hall as well as gunshots. He struggled to get to his feet, giving a hiss of pain as his arm moved the wrong way. It was still healing after his tangle with Cira. The door opened and Arthur tensed, settling into a ready position…

Right as Krista strolled into the room with Brigid right behind her.

"Figured we'd find you here," Krista said, coming towards him and making him sit on the cot, "Brigid, think you can heal him?"

"Aye, I can try," she nodded as a golden instrument appeared in her hands and she plucked a few strings.

"What happened to  _you_?" Krista asked, "You look like you tangled with the Mountain and lost,"

"Close," Arthur winced as his bones creaked back into their normal position due to Brigid's magic, "Let's just say my fiancée and I had our first married couple spat…before we were married,"

"And I thought the earth wasn't supposed to shake until the honeymoon," Krista teased before her face turned serious, "How is she?"

"I don't know," Arthur admitted as his scrapes healed over and he got to his feet, "But I intend to find out,"

"There's just two more rooms," Krista told him, "Cira and Vesper are the last ones,"

"Mir?"

"Out fighting with the rest of them, she knows how to use that khopesh," Krista grinned, "C'mon, let's reunite you with your Sun, loverboy,"

Arthur rolled his eyes but took the Spear of Vengeance's icy hand and got to his feet. They went to the cell right next to Arthur and opened the door…just to find it empty.

"What the…?" Krista asked, walking in, "It's…empty?"

"No, it's not," Arthur said, kneeling down and looking under the bed…

Right as a screech and a blur shot out from under it, sending Arthur on his back as the blur hugged him tightly, sobbing. Arthur stroked Vesper's back, hugging her tightly.

"I'm here, Stardust, I'm here," he soothed.

"L-Left me…" she sobbed, "C-Can't…y-you  _promised_ …"

"I'm not leaving you," he told her, sitting up and cradling her, "They're going to have to pry you from my cold dead hands before I even  _think_  of leaving you,"

Vesper said nothing, but she kept sobbing, her tears soaking into his shirt as he stood up again.

"One more," Krista said, "Let's get Cira out and then  _get out of here_ ,"

She grabbed the door and pried it open. Krista walked in to see Cira still huddled in the corner, holding the shield as she cried.

"Cira?" Krista asked, coming closer, "C'mon, let's get you out of those chains and get you out of here,"

"What's the point," Cira finally hissed, her tear-filled gaze looking up at the Shadow Isles Chosen, "there is  _nothing_  out there for me. I…k-killed him…And p-probably Vesper t-too,"

Krista opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by another voice.

"It takes a bit more than that, my Sun," came Arthur's voice.

Cira's head snapped up and she stared at him, unable to believe it was him.

"You…you're  _alive_ …" she whispered as Arthur came closer, holding Vesper, "You're both…"

Her face went pale as she scooted away from them.

"Stay away from me," she pleaded, "Please, they'll…they'll make me finish it. Please…"

Arthur shook his head and got closer to her, bringing Vesper with him. The little girl looked up and gave a cry of joy, shoving out of Arthur's arms and leaping to her mother, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck and sobbing.

"They didn't kill you!" Vesper cried as Cira's arms automatically wrapped around her thin form, "You're alive! Mama…don't leave me, please…"

Cira burst into tears, sobbing hysterically as Arthur knelt down and hugged her as well, the little family reunited. Vesper's eyes flared blue and violet while her parents' eyes flashed gold and the three Targonians reunited for the first time again as well.

"Let us get you out of here," Pantheon murmured, kissing Leona's head.

Krista tossed him a set of keys she'd plucked off of a corpse and Pantheon set to unlocking Leona's chains. The Radiant Dawn rubbed her wrists where they'd been rubbed down to the wires.

"Let's get out of here," she nodded, getting to her feet and holding Zoe close to her.

* * *

The little family ran out to complete chaos. Bodies littered the hallway, most of them with their throats ripped out while only a handful carried silver-white arrows in their hearts. Cira looked up to see Dianne perched on the rafters, picking off targets while Wolf rampaged below her.

"You've been slacking off, Dianne," Arthur called up, smirking.

Death's Chosen looked down and grinned.

"Not today!"

"Come on," Krista started, tugging on Cira's arm, "Let's get some weapons back in your hands, we found one of the rooms where they've been keeping them. I thought I saw Panth's spear and Leo's sword and shield in the one we found,"

Cira nodded and shifted Vesper up higher, the little girl whimpered, cuddling farther into her mother's chest. The quartet walked down a hallway, stopping for a brief moment as men piled around the corner. Krista rolled her eyes in annoyance as she raised her hand and clenched her fist, impaling them on spears that dropped down from the ceiling.

"You couldn't do that before…" Cira noted as they eased past them.

"I…had to do something in order to get out," Krista admitted, her hand wandering to her chest, "But I'm glad I did it. Anyways, it's just up ahead,"

They reached the room and Cira caught sight of two familiar faces.

"Jake! Caleb!" she smiled weakly as she came in.

"Was wondering when you'd get here," Jake smirked, struggling to lift up a massive golden shield, "Did some work on your shield while we were waiting,"

"We were ordered to stay back until the other armory rooms were located," Caleb muttered, looking sourly at Krista.

"And have you been attacked?" the Shadow Isles Chosen asked.

"No…"

"Then I fail to see the problem," Krista shrugged, "Don't worry, we're looking I promise,"

"Look faster," Caleb huffed.

"Well  _nyeh_  to you too!" Krista teased.

Caleb rolled his eyes and Jake came up to Cira, gently looking her over.

"Geeze, Cira, you've been through Hell," he blinked, "Caleb…"

Caleb grabbed his staff and got to his feet, coming over and his hazel eyes flared yellow.

"I am going to slowly and  _painfully_  take apart whoever did this," Viktor hissed, looking at the weld barely holding Cira's chestplate together, "Leona, please remove that bit of armor. I am going to give it a better weld…when we get out I will be able to completely repair it,"

Leona gave a nod and reached up behind her neck, feeling around for the small switch. She paused for a moment and looked at her fiancé before looking at her daughter.

Pantheon nodded and came forwards, gently taking Zoe in his arms, despite her protests. Leona flipped the switch and there was a soft click as the seal disengaged. Jake gave a nod and walked around to the back, gently removing the heavy piece of armor and revealing Cira's back, the plates of metal embedded in her skin along her spine along with three long scars from her Projectization. He set the piece down on the ground before coming around to the front and doing the same…only to freeze as he pulled it away a little. He looked away to Caleb.

"Caleb…can you find something we can cover her with…" he started, "And medical supplies,"

"Why…what happened?"

"Just…please," Jake finally snapped.

Caleb did so, grabbing a spare blanket and handing it to Jake, who quickly wrapped it around Cira's chest as he took off the front half of the armor. Arthur's face turned an ungodly shade of red as a furious snarl formed across it.

"Who did this to you," he demanded.

Cira put a hand to one of the slashes across her chest. Her chest and abdomen were covered in scars not just from the accident…but fresh ones that still oozed blood and oil. They were crusted over in some parts and did not look healthy in others. Bruises bloomed across her pale skin in myriad shades, and it looked like someone tried to dig out the projector and partially succeeded as there was a shard of grey metal sticking out from her chest where the triangle scar lay at the base of her throat.

Jake took the medical kit, sitting Cira down on the table and started cleaning her wounds. The First Chosen hissed as the antiseptic stung, Jake apologized but kept working.

A green flash caught Cira's eye and suddenly David appeared in a burst of light, shuddering heavily as he rubbed his arm.

"What happened to you?" Cira asked.

"Nice to see you too," David quipped before turning to Caleb, "We're almost done hacking in, Jin's still working on it,"

"Why are you here if you haven't gotten in?" Caleb asked.

"I found this," David said, holding up a piece of paper, "The names of the dirtbags who tortured us and the location of their offices and schedules. So we can avoid them,"

"How are we going to avoid them if they're actively looking for us and there are alarms blaring all over the place," Caleb deadpanned, gently knocking David on the head with his staff, "It's a good thought, but not really good right now,"

"Let me see," Cira said as Jake put the medical supplies away and reattached the bits of armor.

David shrugged and handed it to her. She scanned over the document until she found what she was looking for. The older Project got to her feet and gave Vesper a kiss on the head.

"I'll be back," she told her fiancé.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to make good on a promise," she growled.

Understanding flashed over his face as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Not alone," he told her.

"You're not coming with me,"

"Cira…Leona…" not Arthur, but Pantheon said firmly as he squeezed her shoulder gently and made her turn to face him, "She is my daughter too. He hurt you, and he hurt her. Gods strike me dead before I just stand here and do nothing,"

"Pantheon…it's too dangerous,"

"And what happens if they catch you?" he demanded, "What happened to us earlier, when I ended up looking as if Aurelion hurled me from the sky? What is to stop them from forcing you to hunt us down, Leona? Hunt me, hunt Zoe, hunt any of the Chosens. I nearly stopped you. And I would have were it not for them shocking you. I am  _going_  to come with you,"

Leona gave a heavy sigh and seemed to debate with herself.

"I will follow you, you know that," he added, giving a small, wry smirk.

She shot him an unamused glare before nodding.

"I'd rather have you at my side than worrying if they caught you behind me," she admitted.

He chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Then we shall fight together, my Sun," he smiled as she handed him his shield and she took her own.

"Brigid…can you watch Vesper for us?" Arthur asked.

"Aye, I'd be glad to look after the wee lass," the Irishwoman nodded, reaching for the girl.

"NO!" Vesper wailed, tightening her grip on her father's shirt, "NO I DON'T WANT TO! NO!"

She started crying as she looked at her parents.

"Don't leave me…again…" she whispered, tears streaking through the blood and dirt on her face.

Cira came and brushed a lock of hair away from her daughter's face.

"We'll be right back, I promise. Mama and Daddy have to take care of the man who hurt you. He won't hurt anyone ever again, I promise Stardust. We  _will_  be back,"

She looked at Caleb.

"Track my position and let Vesper see where we are. That way she'll know when we're coming back," she instructed and Caleb nodded.

Vesper reluctantly let go and clung to Brigid, who sat down and summoned her etwahl, starting to play and soothe the poor child.

"Let's go," Cira told her fiancé, grabbing her sword.

And the two left through the doorway, going on their own hunt.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 _A parent will always be defensive of their child. There is no way around it. If you hurt the child of a Chosen…that will be even worse for you. They_ will _seek revenge._

Cira and Arthur made their way through the halls, stepping over corpses which had all died in a different way. Some were burned, some were torn to pieces by jaws, some were sliced to ribbons, and some looked like they had even drowned on dry land. The lights flickered and had gone out in some areas, but Cira's blade cast golden shadows on the walls and lit the path before them.

"What did they do to her," Arthur finally asked.

"They put her in a room," Cira replied, stepping over a body, "A white, soundproof room with no human contact,"

"…White Torture," Arthur blinked, "How long…"

"Four hours I think," Cira sighed, taking his hand as he helped her over a broken segment of a support beam that had fallen over, "They kept threatening that if I didn't cooperate that they'd make it longer. I have no idea how long she was in there, they made sure I couldn't see or have any way of knowing how much time had passed."

His grip on his spear tightened…

"Arthur?" she asked, "You're quiet…it's not good when you're quiet…"

"I was thinking about being nice and just knocking him out," Arthur growled, "Nope. Not happening. He dies,"

The two kept going forwards, Arthur following Cira until she stopped at a door.

"This his?" he asked.

She tapped her visor as Arthur moved towards the opposite wall, "Says it's his but…"

"RAAAAAH!" Arthur roared as he charged forwards, shield before him and bashing the door down, "COME OUT COWARD!"

"Arthur!" Cira told him, grabbing his shoulder, "He's not here. The door wasn't even locked. He must have ran off when the alarms started sounding,"

"Why didn't you tell me that?"

"You didn't give me a chance to before you went all Spartan on that door,"

"Oh…sorry,"

"I don't blame you," she said to him, "I want him too. But now we have another problem…we need to know where he is so we can cut him off,"

"Maybe ask Ekko and Jhin since they're hacking into the system?" Arthur asked.

Her face lit up and she kissed him.

"You're a genius," she smiled.

She put a hand to her ear, activating the comm system.

"David, Jin, I need some help here,"

 _"What's up?"_  David asked.

"Need to find this guy," she told him, sending the picture of the scientist to the two hackers, "He's not in his office and I'd say that by now you two have hacked into the cameras,"

 _"You are not wrong,"_  Jin said,  _"One moment darling. Ah, there we go. There's our rogue performer. We will send his coordinates to you, make this show memorable please. I am simply_ dying _for some entertainment and I am stuck in the_ background _like a common_ extra _!"_

"Thank you Jhin," Cira sighed as the map lit up on her HUD, a single point of red light on the corridors that moved, "We'll take it from here."

She turned off the comm and faced her fiancé.

"There's one choke point between the exit and him. We'll go there."

"Lead the way, my Sun," Arthur smiled.

* * *

His footsteps clanged on the metal catwalk far above the construction below. They'd been preparing more cells, some place where they could easily observe and test their subjects. And it would have been finished a long time ago, except for a bad case of gremlins in the machinery. The klaxons blared and the emergency lights flashed, painting the area with a bloody hue, it wasn't the most welcoming of places, but he wasn't planning to stay long.

He picked up the pace, rushing forwards…only to skid to a stop as a shadow came over him. He dodged backwards right as a man came plunging down from the ceiling, a long, sharp spearhead rending through the metal with a screech. A blond man got up from his kneeling position, yanking the spear out of the catwalk with a horrendous, nails on chalkboard scrape, and pointed it at the scientist.

"Did you  _really_  think we would permit you get away after what you did?" the man demanded, eyes burning a dangerous scarlet-edged gold.

"Was worth a shot," the scientist muttered, getting to his feet and looking around, "Where is  _she_? I bet she's not too far away,"

"No, she isn't," Arthur smirked, "And if I were you, I'd be careful where you step. She's none-too happy with you,"

The man's ipad pinged and he ducked as a golden broadsword swung over his head.

"You're faster than I gave you credit for," came Cira's voice from behind him.

His back hit the railing as he faced the young woman and her fiancé. Both Chosens came closer together, both looking  _incredibly_  pissed off.

"There are just  _some_  things you just don't do," Arthur growled, "And torturing a child is one of them. Especially  _our_  child!"

"I made a promise a while ago," Cira bristled, twirling her blade, "And I intend to  _keep it_!"

The iPad chirped again and the scientist dodged as Cira suddenly struck. The Project Chosen stopped, looking at him in confusion as she swung again. Another chirp from the iPad and yet again, he dodged.

"What the…"

"Did you  _really_  think we wouldn't take advantage of you being in our possession?" he asked, holding up the iPad.

She charged him with her shield, snarling. He dodged the shield and ducked the blow from her sword as she swung it. She swung her fist at him, but yet again he dodged. She whirled around, aiming to kick him in the head, but he dodged  _everything_  she sent at him.

He tsked her, wagging his finger back and forth.

"Your moves are so easily choreographed," he told her, "Every move you make I can see and counteract. Kick to the shins…"

Right as Cira had done it, making him leap over her sweep.

"See? You can't  _touch_  me!" he cackled…

Only to get a bronze shield edge to the gut. He coughed as something inside him broke. He then got a fist to the face from Arthur, knocking him backwards quite a ways.

"You can dodge her maybe…but you can't dodge me," Arthur said, smirking, "and if I do this…"

He bashed the man in the face with his shield, knocking him off balance as his nose broke.

"And she does  _this_ …"

The iPad shrieked but he couldn't react in time as Cira backhanded him, sending him flying into the wall as the iPad clattered to the floor.

"Well, that worked quite nicely," she smirked, picking up the device, "And as for this…"

She snapped it in two like she was breaking a toothpick.

"I don't think there's any need for that," she smiled, "Now…"

She leveled her sword at him.

" _Run_ ," she hissed.

Fearing for his life, the scientist scrambled to his feet and started to bolt…only for a flash of gold to appear beside him. Pain erupted in his legs as blood spurted from a broad gash in his hamstrings. He couldn't run…

"Too slow," Cira said coldly as heat and pain bloomed in his shoulder where a golden blade sprouted.

She twisted the blade and the arm came free, the wound cauterized as the scientist screamed. Cira's gold and blue eyes were hard, almost unfeeling.

"It's just an arm," she deadpanned, "You can replace…oh wait. That's right, you can't. I keep forgetting, after all, I'm just a bloody  _machine_  right? Besides, it's cauterized, you won't bleed out. However…"

There was a harsh whistling sound and a meaty thud as a heavy spearhead slammed into the man's back, making him shriek again as the father of the child came up, a bronzed-silver glow burning about him.

"That one not so much,"

Blood spattered past his lips as Arthur yanked the spear out, coming to his fiancée's side.

"You traumatized my daughter, you  _violated_  my fiancée. Pray to God or whoever you believe in all you want," Arthur hissed as he grabbed the man's head and lifted him off the catwalk floor, before taking his spear and jabbing it into the man's leg, turning it harshly, causing him to shriek, "They cannot and will not hear you,"

The Chosen threw the man to the other side of the catwalk, his body hitting the railing and nearly falling over, watching as the blood started pooling around him. It don't look like he had very long at all.

"You wonder  _why_  we came after you?" the scientist hissed, "Because of  _this_. Because of what you are capable of! You do not belong here! You are not fit to walk the earth here, not even fit to breathe the air here! You all are threats to our world!"

Arthur's eyes narrowed…before he gave a smirk and raised his spear, jabbing it at the scientist and sinking the head into his shoulder.

"Earth and air," Arthur said, removing the spearhead and gesturing with it, spattering the catwalk with crimson droplets, "You'll find plenty of both  _down there_ ,"

Cira blinked, frowning.

"I've heard that before…" she muttered, "Where have I heard that?"

The scientist heard Cira's mutter and turned to face her, giving a delirious laugh.

"Talking to yourself? Ha! Just proves that's the madness setting in,"

"Madness?" Arthur asked.

Cira's eyes flashed as she  _finally_  realized where she'd heard it from.

"Oh God…Arthur  _no_!" she yelled.

"THIS! IS! SPARTA!" Arthur roared, kicking the man square in the chest and flipping him over the railing, sending him screaming fifty feet to the ground to his death.

Arthur brushed his hands against each other, grinning as he turned to his fiancé, who did not look amused.

"You planned that," she accused.

"I've been waiting  _years_  to do that," he preened.

Cira rolled her eyes as he put his arm around her, squeezing firmly.

"Let's get back to Vesper," he muttered.

"I agree,"

* * *

As soon as Arthur and Cira came back into the room, Vesper was in their arms, crying heavily until they managed to get her somewhat calm. Arthur picked her up and slung her around his neck so she was like a little baby koala.

"Are you sure you don't want me to…" Cira started.

"Yeah, I've got her," he told her, "You need to get used to having your sword and shield back. Plus Caleb would kill us if that weld broke,"

"You got that right," Caleb hissed as ink-colored mist formed a column before them and Krista stepped out.

"Alrighty, time to move. We found the next area," she said, "Don't worry, we got it all cleared out so you don't need to fight,"

"You're no fun," Jake sighed, "I was looking forwards to that…what about you Arthur?"

"Oh I'm good,"

"The  _Artisan_  of  _War_  doesn't want to fight,"

"I had my fun today,"

"Yeah, you  _did_ ," Cira rolled her eyes as he grinned.

"I'm never going to get to do it again, am I?"

"Not on my watch,"

"You're no fun," he huffed.

"Let's argue later," Cira told him, "I want to get  _out_  of here first,"

"Sounds good to me," Arthur nodded as Vesper lay her head on his shoulder, "Let's go, Stardust,"

The ragtag group of Chosens made their way out of the armory and to the other one without much of an event. There was one soldier that showed up, but he ended up with an energy ball to the face curtesy of Jake and his Mercury Hammer.

"Might as well use this to pick them off as they show up," he shrugged as Krista opened the door.

"Alright, just stay here," she said, revealing that most of the healing supports were inside as well, tending to the fighters.

"This is the support room," Caleb stated.

"Yep,"

"Jake and I aren't supports,"

"No, but you're the only ones that can work on an injured Project," Krista pointed out, "Since we don't know exactly how they work because they're weird. No offence Cira,"

Cira rolled her eyes, chuckling.

"Fine, but the next one, we  _all_  go out. I know that AP Sona with Dark Harvest is terrifying," Caleb pointed out, getting a savage grin from Brigid.

"Fine," Krista shrugged, "So…is Vesper gonna stay here?"

"You're funny," Arthur deadpanned as Vesper slipped off his back and grabbed his arm instead, "I'll stay with her. Cira, they need you. You're an inspiration…so go inspire them,"

She gave a small smile and knelt down, hugging her daughter.

"Mama'll be right back," she promised, "Don't worry,"

"Please come back…" Vesper breathed, "I don't wanna lose you…"

"Don't worry," Cira repeated, getting to her feet and giving her fiancé a gentle kiss, "Keep them safe, all of them,"

"You have our word," Pantheon said as he gave Leona a kiss on the forehead.

"You missed," Leona pointed out.

"Come back to me and I won't," he replied.

"I think Arthur has rubbed off on you,"

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" Arthur protested.

She laughed as she turned to face Krista, who gave a wry smirk and gestured towards the door. CIra walked out…into insane chaos.

There was fighting everywhere, Dianne and Wolf darted through the masses, taking marks and causing them on their own. Cira saw blades flashing, arrows and bullets flying, everything was moving quickly. She raised her blade and a warm golden glow bloomed away from her as she charged in. The fighters stopped for a moment…before the Chosens all gave cheers of triumph as Cira dove into the fray, stopping the butt of a gun from slamming into a tall, blond man with green eyes.

"Took you long enough!" he chuckled as Cira batted the gun away and then kicked the man in the chest, sending him flying.

"Better late than never, Piotr!" Cira grinned, "At least I came, right Braum?"

"Da," the Heart of the Freljord chuckled, "Now, let us go!"

"Agreed," the other tank support smirked as the two charged forwards, their shields up and plowing through the ranks.

* * *

"So they're all there?"

"Yes,"

"Good. Time for some fun,"

* * *

"Heads up, Val!" Cira yelled, ramming into soldier as the Night Hunter unslung her crossbow and pinned him to the wall with a glowing violet bolt.

"Thanks," Valencia nodded, her visor retracting and revealing her face, "Good to see you,"

"Good to see you too," Cira agreed, "Now…let's…"

There was a high-pitched shrieking sound and both Projects hit the ground, shrieking in agony as they clawed at their audios.

**"PROJECT: DAWN online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Aspect of Twilight Zoe Eos and Chosen Vesper Noble,"**

**"PROJECT: HUNTER online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Machine Herald Viktor and Chosen Caleb Tompkins,"**

**"PROJECT: SHADOW online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Dark Sovereign Syndra and Chosen Silvia Lasar,"**

**"PROJECT: TIME online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Loose Cannon Jinx and Chosen Mya Grace,"**

**"PROJECT: FROST online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Barbarian King Tryndamere and Chosen Matthew Hodges,"**

**"PROJECT: BLADE online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Might of Demacia Garen Crownguard and Chosen Kaidan Darkhound,"**

**"PROJECT: WANDERER online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Exile Riven and Chosen Marissa Billings,"**

**"PROJECT: DUELIST online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Hand of Noxus Darius and Chosen Seamus O'Connor,"**

**"PROJECT: ENFORCER online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Defender of Tomorrow Jayce and Chosen Jake Reagan,"**

**"PROJECT: PURIFIER online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Senna Anwar and Chosen Sienna Ambrose,"**

**"PROJECT: VIRTUOSO online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Eye of Twilight Shen and Chosen Shane Korrigan,"**

**"PROJECT: BLADESMAN online. HUNT Protocol engaged. Mission: Kill Monkey King Wukong and Chosen Graham Dukes,"**

Twelve pairs of eyes suddenly lit up a bloody scarlet. The Hunt was on.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_It honestly is a downside of not being human. We still have human emotions and have attachments, but we're often seen as monsters. Some of us...some of us are more monster than we would have you believe. And all it takes is just a few little ones and zeros to show it._

"We're able to go to the next room," Krista said, poking her head into the second armory, "Actually…we found the doors to get out. But some still need their weapons. Well…more like pets and such. Bristle, Valor, Tibbers and Alejandra's idol,"

"Have you found Tibbers?" Emelia asked, her wide eyes looking up at the older Chosen.

"We found them, it's just we need to get to them first," Krista said, "We're still fighting our way through. There's a lot more of these guys than we thought and I  _still_  think we've only hit the tip of the iceberg,"

The supports, injured Chosens and those asked to stay in the room all looked at one another. They wanted to get out of this hellhole.

"Let us fight," Jake said, "C'mon, Krista, some of us might not look like much but we can still put the beatdown on people. Full AD Soraka?"

Galen, Soraka's Chosen gave a grin as he held his staff.

"Freaking  _Dark Harvest Sona_ ,"

Brigid snickered.

"On hit Nami? Not to mention she's one of your Delta members,"

Amber smirked.

"And don't get me started on Mid Taric and Rakan…"

Ruben and Fabien both beamed, the latter giving a bow as his cloak of feathers brushed the floor.

"The point Jake is making, Krista," Arthur started, "Don't count supports out because they 'can't do damage'. They can. And it's their lives on the line as well. If you front liners can't break through…then we're all going back in those cells. And all of our work was for nothing,"

Krista seemed to fight with herself but finally gave a sigh.

"Alright, alright, even though we don't like it, let's go. Get everyone out,"

" _Finally_!" Caleb muttered, picking up his staff as the group of supports and other Chosens started out of the room.

"I'll go first," Arthur said, "I'm the one with a shield after all,"

Vesper grabbed her father's shirt, holding on to it tightly as he hefted his shield over her head and put it between them both and the hallway.

"I've got you, Stardust. Don't worry," he murmured.

"Why would I worry? I've got you, Daddy," she replied, giving a shaky smile as she grabbed onto his shirt even harder, "Just…don't leave me ok?"

Before Arthur could reply, the lights went out, throwing everyone into darkness. Vesper wrapped her arms around her father's waist, shaking as the other Chosens all muttered and gave short exclamations of shock.

"Everyone just stay calm," Arthur ordered, "It's alright. We'll get the lights back on, I promise…"

He turned to Caleb and Jake, both of whom were frantically trying to get the shared iPad working again.

"You two can get a hold of David and Jin, right? Get them to turn the lights back on?" Arthur asked.

"Can't reach them," Caleb growled, tapping at the iPad, "It's like their comms went out. Maybe there's soldiers there, maybe they just don't want to listen. They're still human, they're stubborn and rebellious,"

"Shh," Krista hissed.

"Did you just…" Caleb started.

" _Shut up_ ," the Spear of Vengeance snapped, "Listen,"

"I don't hear anything," Arthur said as Vesper clung to him.

" _Exactly_ ," Krista deadpanned, "It's too quiet. Not even the alarms are going off,"

No sooner than she had said that then screams rifled through the hallway…only to get immediately cut off.

"Our front line?" Jayce asked.

"No," Krista shook her head, "I don't recognize the voices. It's soldiers, not ours. Something's wrong,"

"Keep going, slowly and  _quietly_ ," Arthur said, starting forwards again.

The group of Chosens made their way towards the next room. They'd gotten to a bend in the hallway when Arthur spotted something laying on the floor. He held up his hand and slowly walked forwards. What he saw made his stomach turn over.

"Mya, don't let Vesper see," he ordered.

"Daddy?" Vesper blinked as Mya held her back.

Krista looked sick as she looked at what Arthur found, Caleb and Jake's faces went pale. What lay on the ground was a broken, twisted,  _mangled_  corpse of a soldier. His helmet had been flattened and torn open, revealing a bloodied mess of brain matter and hair. He was missing an arm, Krista spotted it laying not too far off. His chest was non-existent, he looked like he had been cut in two, the edges of the cut seared black and the flesh around it bubbling with blisters. His legs were cut to ribbons, he had been hamstringed so he couldn't run and then torn apart if what they could tell was right.

"What… _did_  this?" Krista whispered.

Jake looked up and spotted something behind Arthur. His face went pale as he nudged Caleb.

"What?" the Machine Herald demanded as Jake slowly pointed.

Caleb saw what got Jake worked up and his own face drained of blood. Arthur frowned and started to turn only to get grabbed by Caleb.

"Don't.  _Move_ ," he hissed, "Don't move a single muscle. Don't even  _breathe_ ,"

"Why…?"

"Frost," Caleb breathed, "She's at the end of the hall. Watching us,"

"What?" Arthur asked, "Amelia and Ashe?"

"No," Caleb shook his head,  _"Frost_. What is down that hall is not Amelia and is not Ashe. That is a Project. One in Hunt Mode. She's looking for someone, but I don't think she sees them…not yet,"

Arthur gave a violent shudder as he remembered the cold scarlet lights and the harsh, glitching growl rumbling through the air. He could still feel the warm metal digits wrapping around his throat and squeezing…

He shook himself and he felt eyes on him as he turned to face Frost. He slowly put Vesper behind him, the little girl whimpered as she backed away. A pink and purple portal suddenly opened up behind her and with a squeal, she started falling backwards. Her little hand reached out and grabbed the nearest thing…which happened to be Mya's arm and the two fell backwards into the portal that disappeared after the last part of Mya's braid fell through it.

"Vesper?!" Arthur hissed, turning back around and seeing the last bit of a portal twinkling shut.

"We'll find her later," Caleb said, "Right now…we need to get to that next room.  _Without_  them seeing us,"

* * *

Vesper and Mya fell out of the portal and into another hallway. The Aspect of Twilight and the Loose Cannon both slowly got up, wincing as they aggravated bruises from beatings past.

"I want Mama…" Vesper whimpered.

"I know," Mya nodded, "But right now we…"

She heard a low, rumbling growl, almost like a corrupted hard drive in a computer. Mya's face went pale as she heard the sound of metal on tile and she grabbed Vesper's arm.

"We need to hide," she hissed, opening up the nearest door and dragging Vesper in.

Vesper looked around the room, whimpering slightly as Mya locked the door behind them and dragged her farther into the room. It was a kitchen, or at least, that's what she could see. She could see the long metal tables, the pots and pans. Some food was laying out, but it was likely abandoned by the cooks in their flight since the break out.

"It's ok," Mya consoled Vesper as they hid behind one of the long metal prep tables, "I locked the door. They can't get in,"

The growl got louder and louder as the Project walked up to the door. Mya peeked around the corner of the prep table, watching as a flicker of light stopped  _right in front of the window in the door_. She squeaked and dove back behind the prep table…

There was an awful, tortured squeal from the metal door as it was peeled off it's hinges and it's glass shattered from the abuse.

"Well...it  _was_  locked," Mya admitted as she turned to see which one it was.

Her eyes widened and her face went pale as she caught sight of the scarlet gaze in a familiar face.

"Who is it?" Vesper whispered.

"… _Cira_ …"

"She's inside?!" Vesper breathed.

* * *

**_Scanning. . ._ **

**_Movement detected. Identifying._ **

**_. . ._ **

**_Analysis complete._ **

**_Species: Human._ **

**_Subspecies: Chosen._ **

**_Gender: Female_ **

**_Name: Mya Grace. Jinx._ **

**_Conclusion: Not target. Alert PROJECT: Time to Presence of his target._ **

**_Attempting connection. . ._ **

**"State what it is, Leader."**

**"Your Target is here. Come to my position."**

**"Affirmative, Leader."**

* * *

There was a clanking sound as Dawn walked into the room, scraping her blade along the tile and setting Mya's teeth on edge with the sound. Suddenly, she stopped, making Mya frown…

Only for both Chosens to quickly cover their ears in pain as Dawn gave out an eerie, screeching keen. There was silence save for Dawn's rumbling for a brief moment…

And then a second growl joined.

Mya's face drained of blood as she saw a dim emerald glow join the gold of Dawn. David, no, Project Time had joined Dawn.

* * *

"Wish we had some light," Tatjana huffed, "Wish I had Bristle,"

"I know you do, but, we're almost there," Matthew told her, "I hope Amelia's ok,"

"She's a Project, she'll be fine," Tatjana dismissed as they kept going, "Let's just find that room or find where they've got the lights and turn them  _back_  on,"

"Why, you scared of the dark?"

"No, I want to see who I'm going to put into the ground," came the snap as Tatjana set her flail on her shoulder, "And I want to get to Bristle, I'll feel better when I'm on his back,"

"You can't do much with the flail off him can you,"

"No, not really," she admitted.

The two rounded the corner just to see a soldier huddled against the wall, hugging his knees as he stared right ahead. Tatjana looked at Matthew, shrugged and grabbed the man by his shoulders, lifting him up and pinning him to the wall.

"Alright, so what's your problem," she demanded, "And where is the second armory?"

The man's eyes were glazed over in fear, he opened his mouth, but very little coherent sound came out. Tatjana slammed him into the wall, ice starting to creep from her fingertips.

"I asked you a question!" she snapped.

"They came…" the man babbled, "It went dark…so dark…shadows in the hall…Jenkins…the gold one…that sound…they're coming…they're going to kill us all!"

"Who?" Matthew asked.

"Hunters…" the man breathed as Tatjana rolled her eyes and let him down a little.

"Still didn't answer my question about the armory," she pointed out, "Guess you're gonna come with us,"

She started forwards, dragging the limp man. Matthew grabbed her shoulder and yanked her back as the sound of metal on metal tapped on the floor.

"What is that for?" Tatjana demanded and Matthew put a finger to his lips as he peeked around the corner.

A soft, rumbling growl filtered through the hallway as the tapping came to a halt. The man heard the growling sound and immediately panicked.

"They're here! They found me! We have to get out of here! We have to leave  _right now_!" he wailed, thrashing and slipping free from Tatjana's grip.

"Hey!" the Winter's Wrath yelled, grabbing for him, but he slipped away ad ran around the corner.

The two Freljordian Chosens started forwards only to freeze as a horrific shriek pierced through the air. It wasn't the man's, it was too high-pitched, almost female. The man gave a scream of absolute terror and he started to run back down the hall he came from. Tatjana and Matthew saw his silhouette come into view before it was tackled by a streak of blue light down into the next hallway. The man's terrified screams soon morphed into shrieks of agony as tearing sounds filled the air as well as the sound of bones snapping. Not but thirty seconds had passed and the screams had stopped, leaving nothing but the sound of a soft, metallic growl.

Matthew peeked around the corner and his heart skipped a beat as he saw the familiar form of Amelia at the end of the hall. He started to go out when Tryndamere immediately wrenched control and forced him back.

 _"Tryn!"_  Matthew demanded,  _"What was that for?!"_

"Something is not right with her," Tryndamere muttered, sneaking another peek around the corner.

The Frost Archer's Chosen was crouched over the body of the soldier. Matthew swallowed as she stood up, taking the man's severed arm with her. She seemed to study it, her head cocked slightly. She gave a soft chittering sound before she dropped it, no longer interested in it. Amelia's fingers flicked, coming together with a loud clicking sound as the metal digits connected. Scarlet light flickered through the hallway as she scanned through it. Matthew dodged back as the red light painted over the corner, barely missing being spotted.

"What's going on?" Tatjana asked, trying to peek around Matthew, "Is it Amelia?"

"It's a Project…" Matthew said, "But I don't think it's Amelia,"

Tatjana rolled her eyes.

"I saw that flash of blue light. Only Amelia has that color when it comes to Projects," she huffed as her eyes turned an icy blue, "She's my sister. I  _know_  my sister, Tryndamere,"

"Sejuani!" Tryndamere snapped, grabbing as Sejuani pushed past him and walked into the hall, getting bathed in scarlet light.

The Project stared at her, cocking her head in a sharp, inhuman fashion. Sejuani crossed her arms.

"So you're lurking in the halls trying to be like Vayne now, right sister?" she asked, "Come on, you've got your bow, let's find Bristle and get out of here,"

The other Chosen cocked her head in the other direction, her scarlet gaze gleaming as she gave a hissing, chittering sound. She seemed to hunch down, her foot sliding back behind. Tryndamere was reminded uncannily of a Frost Wolf preparing to leap forwards. The Barbarian King realized that and darted forwards, pushing Sejuani down as the blue Project flew over the Winter's Wrath.

"What the  _hell_!?" Tatjana demanded.

"Get up," Matthew ordered, picking her up, "We need to go,"

"Let go of me!"

* * *

**_Attack failed. Initiate counter attack. Locking on Target._ **

**_Scanning for target. . ._ **

**_. . ._ **

**_Analysis complete._ **

**_Species: Human._ **

**_Subspecies: Chosen._ **

**_Gender: Female_ **

**_Name: Tatjana Negrescu. Sejuani_ **

**_Not intended target. Minor nuisance._ **

**_. . ._ **

**_Secondary target scan. . ._ **

**_Analysis complete._ **

**_Species: Human._ **

**_Subspecies: Chosen._ **

**_Gender: Male_ **

**_Name: Matthew Hodges. Tryndamere._ **

**_ALERT: TARGET SIGHTED_ **

**_Proceed with Hunt_ **

* * *

Tryndamere heard the blood curdling shriek and turned around just in time to get tackled by Frost. He managed to bring his blade up as her hands reached for his throat, the metal digits screeching against his blade as Frost snarled and hissed, doing her best to reach him.

He looked right at her face, taking in the pure rage that burned in her now scarlet eyes. This was not Amelia and this was not Ashe. Whatever this was, it wasn't human. Suddenly, she wasn't there any more. Tatjana grabbed Matthew's arm and hauled him to his feet.

"Run," she ordered as Frost hit the wall, cracking it as she scrabbled to get to her feet.

And the two bolted away from the Hunter.

* * *

"Well, I know I feel safe at least," Silvia Lazar said, "I've got three cops here,"

"Oh and I thought it was the other way around, Miss Dark Sovereign," Tris Sparks replied, "I mean, they say your Champion is the most powerful one that's walked Runeterra,"

"We're not on Runeterra now, are we?" Silvia asked, "Besides, you three have the guns, you can operate them at least. And we have a living taser,"

"Let's not fight," Shane said, "I'd rather get out of here alive,"

"Where is Zayne?" Silvia asked, "I know he said he was going to scout ahead, seeing as he can easily get out but…he's been gone for a long time,"

"I'm sure he's fine," Akela told her, "He  _is_  Zed…and a Project on top of that,"

"Still…" Silvia muttered before her eyes flickered violet, "I have the oddest feeling something is wrong,"

A scream of terror shot through the hall and the three Ionian Chosens stopped, watching in horror as two soldiers bolted down the hall towards them. One of them tripped, his hands skidding on the concrete and leaving bloody marks.

"Help!" the man cried, struggling to get up.

His fellow ignored him, continuing to run as a flash of red light entered the hall. He'd just made it to the group of Chosens when he stopped dead in his tracks, grabbing at the coldly glowing striker blades that sprouted from his chest. He coughed, sending blood all over the horror-struck Chosens and the blades moved forwards and then down, slicing the man clean in half as blood sprayed. His fellow soldier screamed as the glowing red form appeared beside him, picking him up by the hair. The man reached up, grabbing at the armored arm and trying to grab onto something to make it let go. The owner of the arm gave a blood-chilling growl before ramming his blade into the man's ribcage. The soldier screamed and the Project merely cocked his head, taking the blade out and grabbing the man's throat.

Silvia turned away as a wet tearing sound met her ears and the man's shriek's turned into slowly stilling gurgles.

"Zayne?" Shane asked carefully as the Project straightened up, blood dripping from the still extended striker blades, "It's us, remember? No need to…"

The expressionless mask looked at him and the Project let out an eerie scream. Shane, Tris, Silvia and Akela all covered their ears as a second scarlet glow came sauntering into the room, twirling a gun around his finger. Jin.

The two Projects chittered and growled back and forth to each other before both looked back at the four Chosen. Jin's scarlet eyes lit up as he caught sight of Shane and he raised his gun.

"I don't think this is a good place to be," Tris admitted.

"I agree," Shane nodded as his spirit blade flared, creating a shielded field around them.

Virtuoso fired, the field causing the bullets to disappear in pinging wisps of smoke. Silvia looked up, catching sight of Shadow. Shadow's mask locked onto her and his circuits blazed. He gave a shriek of rage and charged towards her. Silvia, panicking, made a dark sphere and hurled it at him, stunning both him and Virtuoso behind him.

"Run!" Akela ordered, "Tris! Give us some cover,"

"Gotcha," the Heart of the Tempest grinned as lightning crackled around her fingertips.

Tris gave a loud cry as lightning arced from the dormant lights, crackling in a barrier preventing the Projects from advancing as it blinded them. She then darted away, following the other three in a burst of white light.

Whenever those two recovered their vision…they were  _not_  going to be happy.

* * *

"Hey, Caleb!"

Caleb started, looking around to see Jake shaking his shoulder.

"What," Caleb growled.

"I said, is there any way to shut them down off their Hunt?" Jake asked.

"I'm…not sure. I've never had them come out of a Hunt forcefully. They've always finished the Hunt and were back to normal within minutes of completing it," he said.

"So…what do we do?"

"Pray they don't find us," Caleb huffed.

There was a soft growling sound and Arthur immediately made everyone back up. There was a Project ahead, they all knew it too. However, what one…was to be determined.

Caleb backed up as he was told…only for something sharp to poke him in the back. He froze out of instinct, cold racing down his spine.

**"Greetings, Alpha."**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

_..._

**"Greetings, Alpha."**

Caleb turned around, just to see nothing behind him. However, he knew that was very much not the case. The scent on the air was familiar to him, it was the scent of the air right before a lightning strike, of ozone.

"Why don't you show yourself," he said, seemingly to no one.

The air wavered as a human outline took form, slowly fading and filling in in a hexagonal pattern revealing a 5'4" female form. Her long dark hair was swept up in a ponytail that gave her a slightly more casual look in her tattered hooded t-shirt and jacket. However, the full glass visor and the massive, violet glowing crossbow in her hands made her anything but.

The other Chosens all startled, backing away from the uncloaked Project.

 **"My orders are to terminate you, Alpha."**  She stated, not taking her eyes off Caleb,  **"They are minor nuisances. They are not my target therefore they do not need to worry."**

"Did they really tell you to kill me?" Caleb snorted.

**"Affirmative."**

"Will you though, Hunter?" not Caleb, but Viktor asked.

The crossbow lowered slightly from it's position at his heart.

**"You are Alpha. Your word is law."**

Caleb lifted his hand, shaking as he brought it to the top of Hunter's head. He laid his palm on the smooth glass, jerking slightly as the visor dematerialized and it lay on her dark hair. She lowered her crossbow, giving a long, low purring sound as she closed her scarlet eyes behind her navy-rimmed glasses.

"It's ok…" Caleb said, looking at the other Chosens, who had their weapons out, "she won't hurt us,"

**"Unless they cause harm to Alpha."**

"Yeah that's not going to happen," Caleb told her, "So I take it you're going to be protecting us from the others then,"

**"Are those your orders?"**

"PROJECT codename: HUNTER, I give you orders as Creator and Alpha to protect us from other PROJECT units if they come. You are to not terminate them, just render them in shut down," Viktor ordered.

 **"Command acknowledged."**  Hunter nodded, standing straight and scanning the area.

"Are you sure this is a good idea," Arthur growled, watching Hunter as she wandered forwards, scanning.

"No," Caleb admitted, "But she can get us out of here without having us run into one of  _them_ ,"

"Plus we can figure out how to snap her out of it, right?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, she can still make sure we aren't running into someone out of Hunt mode," Caleb nodded, "Just…don't let anyone get between her and me,"

"Why?" Brigid asked.

"She'll rip you to bloody shreds,"

The Maven of the Strings stopped, her hands playing a few dissonant chords on her etwahl in her fright. Unseen by them, Hunter started as well, shaking her head as her eyes flickered, darkening to brown for a moment before lighting back up scarlet.

* * *

Marissa Billings dashed through the soldiers, her broken blade still slicing through them as if it were whole again. She looked at her friend, Dylan Cross, who equally as gracefully tore through the soldiers. She gave a grin, flipping forwards and slamming her blade into the ground, sending up a shockwave and knocking people into the air.

"Dylan!" she yelled.

Dylan's eyes flicked towards her and suddenly he was above her, his katana glowing with an olive colored light as he held the soldiers in suspension before slashing them down to earth, dead. He flicked the blood off the katana, sheathing the glowing blade.

"Good job," he smiled.

"You too," she nodded only to ready herself as she spotted more soldiers coming for them.

Suddenly, Dylan went down, screaming in agony and shaking his head back and forth.

"Dylan!" she started, putting a hand on his shoulder as his form spasmed, looking more machine than man.

"I don't  **w-want** …Marissa! RUN!" he yelled, his eyes flashing between red and brown as he grabbed his head, "RUN! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

He looked up at her, eyes a different shade of brown and full of pain.

"Get away from here, Riven," Yasuo growled, curling in on himself as pain shot through him again and the projector failed for good, "FAR AWAY!"

Now, both Marissa and Riven knew that neither Yasuo nor Dylan were those who lightly told people to go away. When they raised their voices, they  _meant_  it.

She backed away as Dylan suddenly froze, still in his curled up state. A harsh, metallic rumble wove through the air and soldiers came forwards. She watched as they slowed down and she backed up another step as one of them poked Dylan with his gun.

Big. Mistake.

The visor snapped shut over his face, leaving nothing but glowing orange red slits. He dashed forwards, a glitching shriek exploding from him as his katana leapt into his hand. Marissa's eyes widened as she saw him leap at the first soldier, the one that poked him. She watched as he shoved his blade into the man's face up to the hilt before letting it go and tearing at the man's chest, the sound of bone crunching as metal fists pounded into it filled the air.

So, the Exile and her Chosen ran, their broken blade dimly lighting their way with emerald light.

Marissa put her fist in her mouth as she heard Dylan, or what used to be Dylan, scream again, running around a corner only to run smack into someone.

"Hey," Yoshioka Monzaemon, Irelia's Chosen, started, grabbing Marissa's shoulders, "What happened?"

"Something happened to Dylan," Marissa panted, "We were fine, heading towards the exit and he collapsed, yelling for me to run…then he went still…and went on a rampage killing the soldiers we were against…"

The Will of the Blades' lips pursed in thought as she turned to those following her. Graham Dukes, Wukong's Chosen and Ariel Royal, Ahri's Chosen. She gave a frown as she counted and turned towards Graham.

"Where is Shun?" she asked.

"He said something about seeing light down another hallway," the Monkey King shrugged before his eyes turned a brilliant green, "I've learned not to question Master Yi when he's got his mind on something,"

"Maybe we should go  _find_  him and make sure he's ok?" Irelia asked, well…more like pointed out.

"I'm sure he's fine," Ariel placated her, only for her to cower at the steely glare of the other Ionian, "Ok, ok, let's go find him,"

The foursome made their way down the hall, only for Marissa to stop dead as she heard something.

"What is it?" Yoshioka asked, her blades whirling in anxiety behind her.

"I heard that noise before…" Marissa started, "It's the same sound Dylan made before he went crazy,"

"You think he's there ahead?" Graham asked.

"I don't know," she admitted, "Possibly,"

"I can see, gimme a sec," the Monkey King smiled as he stood still.

The trio of Ionian women waited for their fourth party member to return. And return he did…after a blood curdling shriek from one end of the hall sounded and Graham came bolting back to them.

"YI! It's Yi!" he yelled, "RUN!"

The end of the hall burned with a reddish-orange light as Bladesman came barreling down it at light speed. The four other Ionian Chosens ran as fast as they could down the hallway, only for a darker orange glow to appear.

Marissa skidded to a halt as Wanderer came around. The two locked eyes and the silts in Wanderer's helmet blazed as he gave an eerie shriek.

"Back!" Marissa yelled as a katana barely missed her throat, "Down the other hall!"

They backed up, Yoshioka and Ariel went down the side hall first, Graham and Marissa managed to dive in right as the two Projects slammed into each other trying to get to their targets. The two were knocked to the floor by the force of each other's charge and they lay there for a second, circuits flickering as they tried to recalibrate.

"Run," Yoshioka ordered, throwing two blades on either side of the Projects and rendering them stunned.

* * *

"So, I heard from some of the others…" Tommy said as he reappeared behind Kaidan and Seamus, "remember when the lights went out and everything went quiet?"

"Yeah?" Kaidan asked as he shouldered the gun he'd taken from a soldier.

"And the screams we heard? Those were  _them_ ," Tommy said, pointing to the gun in Kaidan's hands, "According to Caleb, someone hacked the Projects and set them all on us. So yeah, this is going to be fun,"

"And why is this bad if they're attacking soldiers," Seamus asked, checking over his own stolen gun.

"Because they've got targets in our ranks. The soldiers are just in their way," Tommy explained, "They're trying to get to us. But only specific ones. Probably someone they know well and care about,"

"So…Leo'd be going after Panth, Diana or Zoe," Kaidan reasoned.

"And my cousin will probably go after me, her sister…heck, even you, Kaidan," Tommy shrugged, "Because of your little crush,"

Kaidan's ears turned a little red as he gave a cough.

"Let's…just go," he said.

"You enjoyed that," Seamus growled, looking at Tommy.

"I have to, he's a Demacian. I'm a Noxian, it's in my nature," the Blade's Shadow quipped.

Seamus sighed, shaking his head before freezing.

"What is it?" Tommy asked as Seamus and Kaidan took the guns off their shoulders and aimed them at the shadows ahead.

Tommy followed his fellow Chosen's gazes and saw a dimly glowing form at the end of the hall collapsed on the floor. A dim pink light flickered from the gunmetal grey limbs while the short brown hair pooled around the downed Project. He could see sparks flickering from a nasty looking gash across her chest.

"Victoria," Seamus confirmed, starting forwards, though not lowering his gun.

"What happened to her?" Tommy asked as Kaidan knelt down and examined her.

"Looks like a knife wound," Kaidan said, "She might have gotten stabbed by one of the other Projects,"

"She…alive?"

"Yeah, just out cold,"

There was a clinking sound, causing all three Chosen to look back down the hall. None of them noticed Duelist's visor lighting up as a faint smirk crossed her face. They turned back around as it died and her visor went dark.

"Should we get her back to Caleb?" Seamus asked, "We don't know who her target is. The only one she's close to is Valencia and Vayne,"

"I…don't think that's entirely true," Tommy said.

"What do you mean by that?" Seamus growled.

"I'm just s-look out!" Tommy yelled as Duelist suddenly sprang to life, lunging at Seamus.

Seamus, in his fright, pulled the trigger, the bullet slamming into Duelist's shoulder and knocking her back on her rear. The Project shrieked as she staggered to her feet, giving a keening cry that chilled all three Chosens' blood. There was another flash of pink and Tommy managed to block the vibrant pink dagger aimed at Kaidan's head. Another flicker and there was Tracy, or rather Blade, beside Duelist, both pink Projects growling as they readied their blades.

 _"Oh,_ this _again…"_ Talon growled as Tommy settled into a ready position while Darius readied his axe and Garen held his sword.

Duelist stalked towards Darius, the two circling and refusing to let one get closer to the other. Blade dashed towards Kaidan, angling her twin daggers at his neck. She was blocked by Tommy, who shoved her away and earned a gash across his eyebrow.

"Keep  _her_  busy," Darius ordered, jerking his head towards Blade but not taking his eyes off Duelist, "I'll take this one,"

* * *

"She looks a little twitchy to me," Jake said, jerking his head towards Hunter, who was currently pacing in front of Caleb, rumbling softly.

"She hasn't hunted anything in a while," Caleb replied, not looking up from the stolen iPad, "She'll calm down if we run into something,"

"And if we don't?"

Caleb frowned.

"Hunter," he called, getting the scarlet eyed Project to look towards him with a quick, birdlike motion, "Scout ahead. Make sure the path is safe for us,"

 **"Acknowledged, Alpha."**  Hunter said, her form flickering as the hexagonal pattern reappeared, making her fade from view.

"She's away for now," Caleb said, "She'll come back once she's sure it's safe…there probably will be a few corpses added in there,"

"You're awful calm about this," Caroline pointed out as Ruben finished working on healing her arm.

"Oh trust me, I am terrified," he admitted, "I just know better than t-"

Screams rang through the hall, causing some of the younger Chosen to grab on to the nearest adult. It didn't last, and it wasn't too long after the screams stopped that the constant rumble from Hunter came back. The Project decloaked and came back to Caleb's side, noticeably calmer. Not Caleb, but Viktor laid a hand on her head and the Project gave a low purr, her eyes closing again before reopening and continuing to patrol the edge of the group.

"Viktor, that is sickening and you know it," Pantheon growled.

"Is it  _really_  that different than what she normally does?" Viktor asked.

Pantheon didn't look amused, but he could not deny that Viktor was right. At that moment, Hunter gave a low, threatening snarl as she flowed into a ready position.

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"She's spotted another Hunter," Caleb said, looking at the iPad, "It's…"

An amber orange glow shone from the edge of the hallway. Caroline and Jake both went pale as they saw the massive glowing gauntlets dripping with fresh blood.

"Hunter, who is Enforcer's target?" Caleb asked slowly as the violet Project hissed at the amber one.

**"Co-Creator."**

Caleb looked at Jake, who held his Mercury Hammer tightly.

"Jake…back up,  _very_. Slowly," Caleb hissed, "She's after you,"

"Violet?"

"Enforcer,"

"She won't hurt him, right?" Caroline asked, "I mean…Vayne didn't hurt you…"

"I'm the Alpha," Caleb reminded her, "Jake is  _not_."

He turned to Hunter.

"Do not let her harm him," he ordered.

The Project gave a hiss as Enforcer shrieked, charging forwards as a ring of amber light shone around Jake, what looked to be a tether extending from him to Enforcer.

"JAKE! RUN!" Caleb yelled as the amber Project batted everyone aside.

Jake turned to run away, but as he took the first step, he felt something grab him and yank him up in the air. He screamed in panic, thrashing as he got slammed into the floor so hard he felt some of his bones break. He felt a large hand grab his hair and turn him over. The amber Project planted one foot on his arm, making the bones crunch under the pressure and him scream in pain while the other foot lay on his chest. She brought her fist back.

"VI!" Jayce roared, "VI IT'S ME! IT'S JAYCE! YOUR FRIEND!"

She reared back her fist.

"VI! VI NO!" he shrieked, panicking…

Right as a bolt of violet light crashed into her side, throwing her off of him and pinning her to the wall. Enforcer screeched, and Jayce looked to see Hunter lowering her crossbow, her visor materializing over her face.

"Get her!" Caleb ordered.

Hunter took off like a bullet from a gun, racing towards Enforcer, who yanked the crossbow bolt from her side right as Hunter tackled her. The amber Project screeched and grabbed Hunter by the shoulder, throwing her off and into a wall before leaping at her. The two tumbled and rolled, biting, scratching, snarling and hissing as they fought. Sparks flew and oil mixed with blood spattered the floor and walls. Honestly it was like watching two dogs fighting, hell bent on killing the other.

Another scream joined and Arthur looked towards the hall.

"Vesper!" he shouted, running down it in search of his little girl.

* * *

Vesper tugged on Mya's arm.

"Follow me," she hissed as the two Hunters talked back and forth to one another in a language neither Chosen knew.

The two girls crawled on their hands and knees around the corner and started heading towards the door. There was a hissing sound from one of them and the two girls froze, breaths panicky and shallow as they saw the shadow of their loved ones straightening up, like a bloodhound scenting the air.

Vesper put her fist in her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks as what used to be her mother stopped right on the other side of the counter, a sharp clicking sound coming from that side as Dawn's fingers clicked together in annoyance and impatience. Time gave a short call and Dawn's head snapped over to him, the taller Project slowly making her way towards him.

"Go," Mya hissed, gently shoving Vesper.

The two continued towards the door…only for Dawn to give a sharp cry and the pots and pans on top of the counter crashed to the floor. Mya and Vesper gave a short scream as they bolted towards the end of the row, swinging themselves around it. Vesper made it clear to the other end of the second row while Mya froze at the beginning of it as Dawn knelt down and looked through the hole in the table at the mess. Mya put her hands on the ladles and spoons hanging from the counter to quiet them as her back bumped against it. She didn't account for the one on the very tail end, which clattered to the ground with a loud crash.

Mya's heart caught in her throat as both Projects gave short screeches and immediately straightened up, the ruby light from their eyes painting the wall before her. Mya whimpered as she heard them approaching. She shot a look at Vesper, who motioned for her to come to her. Mya shook her head, if she moved now, it would alert them to both her,  _and_  Vesper.

She heard a loud bang and dared to look up just to see Time on one of the tables, scanning over the room to try and find her while Dawn stalked closer. Mya quietly slipped around the corner as the two made it to the fallen spoon. Dawn knelt down and picked it up, studying it carefully. Time said something to her and Dawn growled back. Mya's heart pounded as she saw Dawn's shadow coming closer…

_Tick Tick Tick Tick!_

Both Projects shot up straight and looked down at the end of the row…where Vesper was banging a wooden spoon on the linoleum.

"HEY! OVER HERE!" she yelled, "PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"

 _"I think that was a_ bad _idea!"_ Zoe whimpered as the two Projects looked at them.

"Probably!" Vesper squealed and ducked behind the counter, hopping in a little drawer.

She looked at her reflection, or rather the reflection down the row, locking eyes with Dawn and her face went pale as Dawn's eyes and circuits turned blindingly bright.

The golden Project gave a blood curdling  _shriek_ , her sword flashing out as she charged down the hall. Vesper screamed, her voice shrill and high-pitched as she frantically tried to pull down the drawer. She got it down maybe half an inch before Dawn came crashing into the  _reflection_! Vesper's hands flared as she hurled a Sleepy Trouble Bubble at Dawn.

"SLEEP!" she squealed, eyes wide in panic as she scrambled out of the drawer and skittered towards the other row in the kitchen as Dawn's eyes went dark and closed.

Mya saw Vesper crawling frantically away and looked up at Time, who was still on the table. She looked around, seeing a freezer open. She gave a smile and grit her teeth before getting up and bolting towards it. She heard Time screech and heard him jump down from the table, his footsteps loud and thudding behind her. Mya threw pots, pans, everything she could to get in his way. The Project stumbled a few times, hissing in anger as he kicked them out of the way. Mya bolted into the freezer, sliding on the ice as Time skidded in behind her, his metal leg sliding out underneath him and sending him to meet the floor with an audible  _thud_. Mya scrambled to get out, her feet sliding on the slick floor as well, but with a hysterical scream of triumph, managed to close the door on Time before he got up, locking it and bolting to Vesper, who was huddled in the corner, crying.

"Come on!" Mya yelled, "Before she wakes up!"

She grabbed her arm and the two ran outside right as Dawn jerked awake.

* * *

The Project sat up, groaning. Her  _golden_  eyes blinking blearily as she saw the two Chosen run out the kitchen door.

"…Zoe?" Leona muttered before the high-pitched tone echoed through her skull, sending static and error messages across her vision as she screamed in pain.

Her eyes flickered and dimmed from gold to scarlet. Dawn could hear Time snarling and slamming against the freezer door trying to escape. She got up, grabbed the handle to the door and ripped it off it's hinges with a little effort.

 **"Your organic side hinders you."**  she pointed out as Time came out of the freezer, rubbing his arms to get feeling back in them.

He said nothing, just shot her a glare under his visor before starting out.

**"Which way?"**

**"Left."**

The two Projects shot out of the kitchen, streaks of emerald and golden light. The Hunt was still on.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

.....

Matthew bolted down the hall, Tatjana right behind him. This was not the situation they had wanted to be in or expected to be in. Being hunted by a Project, and one that was specialized in…

 _"DUCK!"_  Tryndamere ordered.

Matthew threw himself to the ground as a cryo-charged arrow shot over his head. He still felt the cold chill of the air right over his body as he scrambled to get to his feet. He was promptly slammed into by something heavy and it knocked the breath out of him.

A cold hand grabbed him and flipped him over like a child's doll. He tried to get up only for an armored heel to strike his solar plexus, making him yell in pain and fall back to the ground. He looked up at the scarlet gaze of Frost and shielded his face as she brought up her bow, an arrow of cryo-charged plasma forming on it…

When something slammed into Frost, knocking her off Matthew. The man got up to his hands and knees just to see Tatjana lowering her fist from where she hit the Project. The Winter's Wrath shook her hand slightly, hissing as ice crackled around her feet.

"God she's got a hard head," she huffed.

She turned around to face Matthew and get him to his feet when something white and blue flashed and Tatjana was gone. Matthew let out a startled cry as he looked at the newly formed and Tatjana sized hole in the wall.

Frost gave a huffing growl as she lowered her bow from its swinging position. She looked at Matthew and she hissed, her eyes flaring brighter scarlet as she rushed him. Tryndamere took control and dodged the Project, grabbing her bow as she reared back to strike him. Frost whirled around, shooting an arrow backwards, just barely scratching him with the arrow as it flew by, causing a thin streak of blood to appear over his nose. She shifted her grip on the bow so that she could turn around and nailed Tryndamere in the nose with a well placed elbow.

Tryndamere hissed, stumbling slightly as his hand unconsciously went to his nose. Frost swung, the bow like a club, slamming the blunt metal contraption into the side of his head and knocking him to the ground.

He got up to his hands and knees, vision swimming from the concussive blow, he tried focusing on the glowing figure before him, who was coming closer and closer….

 _"Have to get up. Have to get away,"_  came Matthew's out of it response as fight or flight kicked in and the Barbarian King started trying to get away from the Hunter.

He could see her raise her bow, feel the biting cold that came from an arrow forming…when a loud crashing sound came through the hall as well as the sound of hooves on tile as Frost went flying into a wall.

"ROUND TWO ASHE!" came Tatjana, no  _Sejuani's_ , bellow as she swung her bola around and Bristle snorted, pawing at the tile.

A lizard/bird-like creature bolted out of the  _second_  hole in the wall with an idol of some sort strapped to its saddle, while a massive eagle with blue and gold wings soared out, clutching a ragged teddy bear in its talons.

"You had to make a second hole, wasn't the first hole good enough?" Matthew groaned as he got to his feet and the world stopped spinning.

"Shut up!" came the spat from the Winter's Wrath.

The Project got to her feet, looked at Sejuani and opened her mouth, a very labored, slow voice coming from her.

"Unimportant…deal…with you… _later_ ," she snarled.

"UNIMPORTAN-ALRIGHT YOU OVERGROWN TOASTER YOU'RE DEAD!" Sejuani shrieked, charging Bristle forwards.

The Boar snorted, sweeping his tusks to gore the Project. Frost ducked under the sweeping masses of bone and shot an arrow in the beast's hindquarters. Bristle screamed and Sejuani roared, swinging her bola and catching Frost in the shoulder, throwing her down the hall.

"COME HERE AND FIGHT LIKE AN ICEBORN YOU COWARD!"

Frost hissed at her and fired again…but not at Sejuani or Bristle. She shot at the charging Tryndamere, who had his sword raised. The cryo-charged plasma arrow struck him in the shoulder, throwing him off balance slightly. He regained his balance and started to charge forwards again, but it was enough to give Frost the chance to tackle him. Her hands wrapped around his throat and tightened. He clawed at the metal digits and the ones of flesh, but they had no effect or at least none that he could see. His vision started turning fuzzy, a ring of darkness growing rapidly around the edges.

"Ashe…" he croaked, but she ignored him, continuing to strangle him.

His struggling became weaker and Frost gave a cry of triumph as her Hunt was ending…and that's then a hand pried hers off of the Target's throat.

Scarlet and orange light blazed around her Target, pure  _rage_  radiating from him like a furnace. Her grip weakened in shock, but it was enough for him to throw her off, tackling  _her_.

"This isn't you," Matthew growled, "I want the woman I love,"

She shrieked, clawing at him as he slammed her to the ground, wrapping himself around her. She elbowed him, causing him to grunt but he renewed his grip on her.

"Do you remember that one time you went hunting that boar…and got cornered by Frost Wolves?" Tryndamere asked as Frost clawed at him, "You looked so determined, so…beautiful. I almost forgot to breathe."

She hissed, kicking at him, but he ignored the pain, renewing his grip on her.

"You had that same determined look when you came to me the first time. That moment in the woods, surrounded by the carcasses of the wolves we slew together, all battered, scratched and torn…that moment was when I had to protect you. When I realized I loved you,"

She bit him and he grit his teeth, holding her even closer, wrapping his arms and legs around her body even tighter. So tight that it was hard to see where she ended and he began. Her light surged angrily, seeming to make him illumine too.

He brushed his lips against her ear.

"I protected you then. I will protect you now. And if it means taking you apart to do it, so be it. Just as long as I get you back,"

* * *

Vesper and Mya ran down the hallway, casting looks behind them every once in a while. A little while back, they thought they had escaped. Now, as was evident by the ever growing brighter light behind them, they hadn't.

A sharp pain nicked Mya's side and she hissed, eyes widening as a golden flash appeared beside her, backhanding her into a wall. Mya screamed as she felt her ribs crack and she coughed, a warm, dark liquid spitting between her teeth.

"Vesper,  _run_!" Mya yelled as she threw out some flame chompers, catching Time in them and making the Project hiss and snarl in anger as he batted the fire away from his blinded visor.

Dawn however, wasn't deterred by the traps. She reached out, grabbing Vesper by the hair and yanking her to the ground.

"MAMA!" Vesper screamed, her tear-filled blue, violet and brown eyes scanning her mother's face, trying to find any semblance of mercy or love in those cold scarlet rings.

There was none. There was no soul, no love, no kindness. Just the cold, unfeeling machine who had finally found her Target. Dawn raised her blade and Vesper cried out.

But Dawn stopped, cocking her head slightly as a faint rumbling sound came from the side of the hall. She turned towards the wall right as it blew apart, a figure with a bronze shield and spear charging through the rubble and ramming into the Project, sending her to the ground away from Vesper.

"Daddy!" Vesper gasped as Arthur picked her up, hugging her tightly.

"Run," he ordered, "Take Mya and run back to Caleb, I'll take care of her."

Vesper gave a tearful nod and hugged him tightly.

"You came back," she sobbed, "You came for me,"

"I'll always come," he told her, "Now  _go_ ,"

He turned to Mya, who was limping towards him.

"Took you long enough," she huffed.

"Just go," he ordered.

Vesper hurled sleepy trouble bubble at Time, making him shut down briefly before grabbing Mya and running.

Arthur heard the hiss of hydraulics and turned to face Dawn, who had gotten to her feet, glaring at him. A chill ran down his spine as he saw the look in her eyes. Rage, murder…and recognition?

"So you  _do_  remember me," he muttered setting his shield down on the floor, "Remember me as your fiancé or as the one you were ordered to kill yesterday?"

She seemed to vibrate in anger, her armor rattling as a spitting snarl ripped from her throat.

He huffed, setting his feet as his eyes flared gold.

"Regardless, Dawn, Cira…Leona," Pantheon said, "You will not this fight. You won't get Zoe. Not while I still breathe,"

Dawn charged at him, Arthur whirled his spear around as she reached him, knocking her jab to the side and causing the blade to gouge away some of the wall, sending chunks of concrete flying. She brought her elbow up to hit him in the nose but he dodged backwards away from the sharp edge. Dawn snarled, bringing her sword up again as she swiped at him, one foot in front of the other in quick succession, dancing forwards with each swing.

She reared back, putting power behind her swing only for Arthur to grab his spear by both ends and bring it up horizontally, blocking the strike. The force of the blow caused his knee to buckle, cratering the concrete below them, but the Artisan of War's Chosen merely smiled as the spear seemed to shimmer.

Warning screeches rang through her audios as her visor lit up with error messages. There was something not right with that spear. She dodged backwards, studying him for a moment.

"Jayce, this better have worked," Arthur muttered as he jabbed forwards.

Dawn immediately leaped upwards, the spear impacting the ground beneath her feet as she landed a few feet away. Arthur came at her, yelling as he thrust the spear at her repeatedly, it's keen edge glinting in the dim and darkened light. She dodged, raising her shield to block one of the thrusts only to get knocked aside as he turned the jab into a swipe. Dawn hissed as he reared back again, making her duck. Her back arched into a bridge as the backswing came, the speartip barely missing her visor, the outer edge scratching it lightly as some of her hair was cleanly cut from her head, showering the concrete with little embers of red-gold.

She continued the bridge into a tumble backwards, coming back to her feet as she disengaged the magnetic lock holding her shield to her arm. The golden and grey holographic plates sputtered once, twice before flickering out as it hit the ground with a loud bang. In this corridor, with this enemy, it was good to be agile, her shield would merely slow her down.

He jabbed at her again and she parried, the collision between sword and spear sending up golden sparks of light. He thrust at her again, driving her backwards towards the wall with each one and with each jab she knocked it aside with a swing of her own. The two's weapons clashed against each other, points near to the ground. Arthur gave a grim smile, Dawn gave a snarling shriek as she knocked his blade upwards, cutting a large gash in the floor and throwing up more debris. She couldn't run forwards without the spear hitting her, she couldn't back away because the wall at her back. So, she came up with something different. She turned away from him and ran up the wall a few steps before pushing off as he slashed the wall where she'd been, a nasty scar in the concrete as she hit the ground behind him in a three point landing.

She stood once again and faced him as he whirled his spear around again, settling in a ready position. Her own feet settled in a ready position as he came towards her, dragging the spear's head along the floor and sending up sparks of light before he flipped it upwards and began to run forwards.

Dawn analyzed the movement with a slight bit of confusion. Why was he recklessly charging her like that? Her armor was thick enough that the spearhead would just scrape off it. She raised her blade overhead and charged back. Humans were so stupid, she'd charge him and take his head as he ra-

Searing pain ran along her side and Dawn shrieked, dropping her blade in shock as she fell to a knee, clamping her hand over her now heavily bleeding side. She stared at the scarlet and gold mixture in horror before glaring up at Arthur, who turned around, holding up the spearhead that now gleamed with a red and golden tint.

Dawn forced herself to spit out the unfamiliar language, drawing back on that invasive code that she knew still was trying to regain control.

 _"How_." She spat.

Arthur blinked, taken aback by the sudden use of English. His eyes flamed gold and Pantheon replied, flicking the blood off the spearhead as he leveled it at her.

"I told you, Dawn. You were not going to win this round. Full Metal, remember that? Jayce recruited Rammus and I to take down Viktor's creations, before you were turned. But you are still one of his creations, so this spear is specifically tuned to take you  _down_."

She gave a shriek and charged him at inhuman speed. Pantheon dodged her, slashing his spear at her and gouging another cut into her armor. The bloodcurdling hiss, almost like a snake, that came from her was met with a low growl from the other Targonian. He swung again. She dodged and he leaped at her, grabbing her around the neck and swinging around to get on her back, the spear's shaft flush against her neck. She rammed him into the wall, his ribs cracking from the blow, but he refused to let go.

Dawn gave a strangled snarl as she seemed to buck like a wild horse, but Pantheon held on.

"Come back to me my Sun," he hissed into her audio, almost begging.

She jolted as if stung. He lifted one hand from his grip on his spear and reached for the finial. The last part that would make her shut down…

And that was when she grabbed his arm, flipped him over her shoulder and slammed him to the ground. Pantheon gasped as the cracked ribs actually broke. She pinned him with her foot on his chest, grabbing her sword from where she had dropped it and raised it high.

* * *

Caleb stood next to Jayce as Amber and Brigid healed him. He wasn't watching the two healers though, he was too focused on the two Hunter Projects currently dueling each other. Enforcer taking a crushing swing at Hunter, her blue and yellow streaked hair flickering like a flame. Hunter tumbled out of the way, unslinging the massive crossbow off her back and shot Enforcer, the force from the shot catapulting the Brawler class Project into the wall.

 **"You will not touch Alpha, PROJECT Enforcer,"**  Hunter hissed.

 **"You will not stop my mission, PROJECT Hunter,"**  Enforcer snarled as she got back up and charged Hunter, landing a blow and sending Hunter flying up into the ceiling from the sucker punch.

The massive boom from the blow shook the building. Hunter staggered upright, holding a hand to her stomach as sparks and blood spat from a crack in the armor. Enforcer started towards her once more. Hunter's visor flashed as a hexagonal pattern flickered over her slim frame, rendering her invisible save for the faint scent of ozone where she passed.

Movement caught Caleb's eye and he turned to see Seamus dragging a barely conscious Tommy into the room.

"What happened?!" Galen demanded as he rushed over, his crescent staff in hand.

"Two Projects," Seamus said as Galen took Tommy, "Kaiden's holding off Kat. But Fio…"

A flash of pink came into the scene and Seamus whipped around, raising his axe and catching the heated edge of a pink rapier on the shaft. He snarled and shoved, sending Duelist skidding backwards, the blade making a sparking arc on the floor. Caleb pushed past Seamus and raised his hand in a stop gesture. Duelist paused, cocking her head, her visor flickering.

 **"Alpha,"**  she greeted.

"You can't hurt him. Stop fighting.  _All_  of you," Caleb ordered as Enforcer stopped mid swing to look at him, "I didn't create you to be mindless machines. You have minds of your own,  _use_  them!"

The three Hunters stared at him, all three's visors disengaged, revealing the unnerving scarlet gazes. Caleb gave a relieved sigh and lowered his hands as the three came together and stood before him.

Hunter opened her mouth to speak when all three Projects froze…only for all of them to give bloodchilling screams as they held their hands over their ears, Caleb saw flashes of blue and brown in their scarlet gazes before all three froze and looked at him. It wasn't the look he'd received before. He wasn't the revered Alpha. The way they looked at him…he was  _prey_.

"Everyone back up," he said slowly, "They've got a new Alpha…and it's not me."

"What!?" came the universal cry from all the Chosen.

The three Hunters stalked towards him, trying to surround him. Caleb raised his hands, facing them all.

"Hunter," he warned, "Stand down,"

She hissed at him, the scarlet light in her eyes more feral as she aimed her crossbow at him.

"Hey,  _HEY_!" Caleb snapped, "What did I just say?!"

There was a low snarling sound from his left, the sound of gauntlets powering up and Caleb's eyes flickered towards the corresponding Project.

"Enforcer, I see you.  _Back up_ ," he ordered, slowing backing up as Duelist's hand reached for her rapier at her side, "Duelist…stay  _right_  there,"

All three hissed, rumbling snarls tearing from their throats. He could see Caitlyn tearfully lining up a head shot on Enforcer.

"Don't shoot her," Caleb told her, not taking his eyes off Hunter, "You'll regret it."

Caitlyn nodded, but didn't lower her gun. A large form jumped in front of him, an even larger shield before him.

"Go, get to the back," Piotr ordered as a crossbow bolt pinged against the shield.

Caroline threw out a trap smiling ruefully as Enforcer got stuck in it, the bear teeth grasping at her armored ankle and making her roar in pain. Duelist dashed forwards only to get stopped by Adrien, who grinned as he leaned on his hammer.

"What's the hurry?" he asked before shoving the hammer against her and throwing her backwards.

Caleb bolted towards Jake, who was just now getting to his feet. The Projects fought, almost as if they were even further gone than before. Mindless machines…exactly what they were created  _not_  to be. He skidded to a halt, his heart hammering. He didn't know what to do. They were all going to die…the Projects wouldn't forget that people had gotten in the way of them and their target.

 _"Think, Caleb!"_  Viktor ordered,  _"What did you see when this change happened?_ Tell _me!"_

Caleb desperately tried to think, his heart leaped into his throat when Enforcer slammed into Piotr's shield, sending the big man toppling. He felt a hand on his arm, Brigid's. She was trying to play something calming to…

Wait.

Caleb's eyes flicked towards the speakers on the wall. Likely for announcements and such. He turned to Jake.

"It's a sound that's transmitting the code," he said, "It's too high pitched for us to hear. It's like a dog whistle."

"Why can't Kendra or some of the other inhumans hear it?" Jake demanded.

"It's specifically for  _them_ ," Caleb replied, grabbing the iPad and tapping on it, "We hacked into their comm systems before, if we can disrupt that sound…"

"It might shut them down?"

"Might…" Caleb muttered as the screen flashed green, "GOT IT!"

He turned to Brigid, pulling out a wire and handing it to her.

"Plug that in. I need you to play the most awful, dissonant sound you can."

"Wh-What?" she blinked.

"Please. Or we're all gonna die," Caleb growled.

Brigid shrugged, as she waved a hand over the etwahl, making it change into what looked more akin to a DJ's turntable board. She plugged the wire in and slammed both hands on the board. The sound that erupted from the speakers was so god-awful that everyone covered their ears.

The Project's however…

All three were on the ground, screaming and writhing in agony as they grabbed at their audios. Jake scrambled over to Enforcer, same as Caroline, both holding the amber Project down in an attempt to stop her from hurting herself. Piotr and Ruben had grabbed Hunter, the former holding her in a bearhug as she wailed and thrashed, clawing at the side of her head. Seamus did the same with Duelist, who had one hand over her audio while the other dug deep furrows into the concrete floor.

All three suddenly froze before collapsing to the ground.

"Did we do it?" Brigid asked, renewing the chord.

Caleb opened his mouth to answer…when a familiar voice spoke.

"Agh…tell the guy with the jackhammer to lay off will ya?" Violet groaned.

* * *

The sword had gotten mere inches from Arthur's chest when a sound blasted through the nearby speaker. Dawn suddenly screamed, staggering backwards and dropping the sword before falling to her knees. She spat something in a glitching, metallic dialect that he couldn't understand. She kept shaking her head, her hands curled around the finials on the side of her helm as she screamed from pain. Arthur slowly got to his feet, approaching Dawn, the Project curled in on herself, trying to shut out the noise, but failing miserably.

* * *

Matthew was dragging Frost backwards until he hit the wall. She was trying desperately to get out of his grip, but again, she failed to do so. She was about to try ramming her head into his nose when a sound blasted through the speaker above their heads. Frost screamed, thrashing even harder as the sound played. What looked like tears of pain streaked down her cheeks as she kicked, bit, scratched,  _everything_  to get free. Finally she managed to elbow him, and when he let go…she didn't leap at him. Instead she fell to the ground, curling up on her hands and knees as she clawed at her audios. She was speaking, but it looked as if she were  _begging_  rather than insulting.

Suddenly…she stiffened and started to slump over. Matthew grabbed her, turning her over to face him as he held her in his lap. She gave a groan as she blearily opened her eyes…her  _brown_  eyes.

"…Matthew?"

"Amelia?" he asked slowly.

"What's going on…?" she mumbled, "Where'd you come from? Last time I saw you was…"

"You seriously don't remember trying to kill him?" Tatjana asked, glaring at her as she tended to Bristle's wound.

"No. Wha…Matthew.  _What_  happened!?"

Matthew didn't answer, he just pulled her into a searing kiss before holding her tightly.

"It doesn't matter, I have you back," he muttered into her hair.

* * *

Dawn had collapsed and Arthur, his heart still saying it was Cira, had grabbed her before she could hit the ground. He fully expected to see scarlet when she opened her eyes.

"Arthur?"

He looked down, shocked to see not scarlet, but stormy-blue eyes looking dazedly up at him.

"Ci…" he breathed.

"What happened? Where are we?" she asked before looking around in a slight panic, "Vesper?!"

"She's ok, I got her away," he told her.

"A…way?"

He kissed her with a passion first, smiling at her stunned expression as he drew back.

"You nearly got me again," he told her.

"Got…what do you mean?"

"…You don't remember?"

"Remember  _what_? The last thing I remember was saving Val from a Hunter and then…nothing,"

Arthur frowned.

"Ci, you kinda went into Hunt mode and tried to kill us,"

She stopped, staring at him, her face pale under her visor.

"No…that's not…I couldn't…I  _wouldn't_  have!" she denied, "Arthur, there's no way I could have…could I?"

"Ci, you had me pinned. You were going to kill me. You nearly killed Vesper and would have if I hadn't gotten there in time. I don't know what they did to you…but they made you and all the other Projects hunt us down,"

She slumped, shocked into silence before she broke, tears streaming as she put her head in her hands. He wrapped his arms around her.

"It's ok," he soothed, "It's gone now. You won't have to hurt anyone, I promise. You snapped out of it. I'm so proud of you…"

"Arthur," Caleb's voice said as he appeared in the hall, "Thank God you two are ok,"

"Ci's a little shaken up but we're ok," Arthur told him.

"For now," Caleb hummed, "Cira, I'm going to have to shut your audio sensors off,"

"What?" she sputtered, "Why?"

"That code that switches on Hunt Mode, it's in an audial cue. Brigid is overriding it, that's what that godawful sound is coming through the speakers," Caleb explained, "But once she stops playing, you'll go right back into Hunt Mode."

Cira's face paled as she sat upright bringing her long red-blond hair over her shoulder so Caleb could easily access the port on the back of her neck.

Arthur gave her one last kiss.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you too," she replied as all the sound switched off and all she could 'hear' was the sound of her own core humming.

* * *

A figure staggered over the desert floor, dressed in a ragged robe of what probably was once a violet color. The hood was drawn up over his face, but one could see the pale determination on his face. He stopped, looking down the hill he had just climbed at the group of buildings and huge chain link and barbed wire fences surrounding it. There were secrets here, secrets that no one would know about. Perhaps that was why there was such a powerful magical signature from it.

There was no doubt about it, this was the place he was looking for.

He lifted his head, smiling as his icy blue eyes blazed and sparks of violet light shot from his fingertips.

"Found you," Andrew smiled.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_One factor that ties us all together is Andrew. Andrew Summers, a Valorian Summoner and known as one of the best Support Summoners of his age. He is also the Judge for all of the Champions, and one of my closest friends. I have never seen him lose his temper, and if I may be honest? I hope I never do._

Andrew was not happy. He had been out in the middle of this god-forsaken desert for three days after getting a tip from the locals that something weird was going on in it. And now, he had found a facility that was badly trying to hide the massive magical signature within it. To know that this is where they had taken the Chosens and the fact that it had taken him so long to locate it made him furious.

So to say he was not in the best of moods when he was confronted with armed soldiers was an understatement.

"You're trespassing on private government property," one of the soldiers barked, "Leave now or we'll use force."

"I am not in the mood for games," Andrew growled, brushing the hood back from his head, "So, kindly step aside else I will be forced to do something  _rather_  unpleasant. And trust me, you do not want me to do that."

"What's a hobo going to do," one of the soldiers muttered, "He's not armed though that outfit could definitely hide a small firearm,"

Andrew's icy gaze was unamused. These poor men had  _no_  idea who they were messing with.

"I'm giving you one last chance, step aside or you are going to regret keeping me here," Andrew warned.

The soldiers laughed, though they stopped laughing as Andrew took a step forwards. Up went the guns again and Andrew rolled his eyes, continuing to walk forwards. The soldiers were confused for about two seconds. It was like this man didn't fear for his life.

They opened fire. They couldn't allow him to go forwards, not with that was there in the compound. The dust was thick and billowed in massive clouds, someone shot a rocket and the explosion spat dust and dirt into the sky. They stopped firing, there was no way that he survived that. No possible way…

The dust cleared and their faces paled as they saw Andrew standing, unharmed, in front of them. A violet shimmer was projected before him, the Summoner looked very,  _very_  unamused.

"I don't have time for this," he sighed, waving his hand and dissipating the force field as he continued forwards.

They started firing again and Andrew clenched his fist, a dark violet black shield, almost like a massive door with motifs of rams and ice gleaming on the hard light. Braum's shield. The bullets pinged off as Andrew moved forward, he held out his right hand and a chain ending in a scythed blade dangled in it. The dark purple weapon swung out, wrapping around one of the soldiers and dragged him off his perch, screaming as the blade sliced through his skin.

Andrew paid him no mind, flicking the chain and sending the man flying into the air and then smacking him down into the ground with a sickening crack. The chain faded from his right hand and the shield in his left flickered slightly as his magic divided itself again. Instead, the blade from the chain became a barbed harpoon which Andrew hurled with a scary accuracy. The barbs punched through the armor of a soldier, dragging him towards Andrew as the latter gave the rope a yank. The harpoon then became a club dotted with gemstones and Andrew bashed another soldier with it, hurling them across the yard. They didn't get back up.

Braum's shield flickered as Andrew decided it was enough, becoming smaller but with sharper edges as a broadsword with a rayed crossguard appeared in his right. He pointed the blade at one of the soldiers, blinking to them in a dark display of light, running them through with the hard light blade, staining it a reddish violet. He took the shield and slammed it into a soldier's chin, the sharp points on it coming back reddened.

He dispelled the magic and slammed his hand, crackling with dark violet light, onto the ground. The ground rumbled and spires of sharp rock shot through the dusty earth, impaling the remainder of the force.

"I hate killing, I'm a Support Summoner," Andrew said, "But my family is behind that wall and you are in my way."

He continued into the compound, his eyes narrowing as he saw more soldiers swarm out. His magic solidified into an elegant staff that held two glowing orbs of pulsating violet light. He raised the staff, time to continue on…there was no time to mourn.

* * *

Arthur led the group of Chosens through the halls. He held his fiancée's hand, guiding her as she followed. He snuck a look back at her, his anger roiling again as he saw the gashes and bruises over her face that dripped and wept a strange combination of scarlet blood and golden oil. Cira cocked her head, frowning as she looked at him, but said nothing. He waved her off. She wouldn't be able to hear him anyway.

He looked at the others, seeing Matthew holding Amelia up with a gentleness that many wouldn't have expected from his Champion. Graham was eagerly leading Shun, Silvia and Shane were helping Zayne forwards…everyone was helping one another. The twelve suddenly deaf Chosens weren't coping as well with their temporary position as Caleb had hoped. Their balance had been thrown off, being forced to hold onto fellow Champions and Chosens just to move forwards.

A warm hand touched his shoulder, making Arthur jump slightly. Cira retracted her hand, looking at him apologetically, but she nodded forwards with a question in her eyes.

_'Do we go that way?'_

Arthur nodded.

"This way," he called, continuing forwards.

The shuffling sprint of over one hundred people rumbled through the hallways. They had to be almost be out, right? Arthur saw a light up ahead and picked up speed. Light meant windows, windows normally meant ways out. The Chosens bolted towards the light…only to stop as they reached a dead end.

"No…" Leif whispered, burying his face in Willump's fur while the Yeti warbled something comforting to him, "It's just a dead end…we're never getting out of here."

Arthur felt Cira's hand on his shoulder and he turned to face her…only to hear a faint whining sound coming from his right. He looked towards the sound, dimly recognizing it as the same sound when Lux started the spell for Final Sp-

His eyes widened and he tackled Cira to the ground right as the wall exploded in a dazzling display of violet tinged light. The dust had turned gold and Arthur heard Cira give a shuddering gasp. He turned towards her, eyes widening as she seemed to shine with golden light.

 _"Sunlight."_  Pantheon stated,  _"Arthur…that hole in the wall leads outside…"_

"EVERYONE OUT!" Arthur bellowed, helping Cira to her feet, "We're out! We're free! RUN!"

The Chosens all raced out the newly made hole in the side of the building, through many layers of hallways and finally out into a yard. They all shielded their eyes from the onslaught of sunlight, but the sound of giddy, ecstatic laughter soon washed over the crowd as they all made it out of the facility. They might have left the building…but they still were not free. Not yet.

Caleb and Jake went around to the twelve Projects and turned their hearing back on. Cira shook her head a couple times before sighing as she happily pulled Vesper and Arthur into a tight embrace.

"Almost free…" she murmured.

"Any idea what caused that big explosion that got us out?" Rumble's Chosen, Robert, asked as he looked at the group of military Chosens.

"No clue," Brandon Roy, Teemo's Chosen shrugged, "Didn't sound like anything I've heard. Mikayla?"

Tristana's Chosen shook her head and shrugged.

"What about the special forces group?" she asked.

"Nothing I've seen," Lenny said, "Don't think that Gar's seen it either…or am I wrong?"

Pyke's Chosen shook his head as well.

"Then  _what_  was it?" Tatjana demanded, "I want to know just in case they try shooting it at us instead of a wall!"

'It…sounded like a Lux ult powering up..." Arthur said slowly, looking at Amelia Pond, who held her staff closer to her as she shook her head.

"It wasn't me," she told him, "I don't know what it was, but Lux is just now starting to wake up and Final Spark takes everything out of me."

"Look!" Seluna called, pointing at a wall and at a figure standing on top of it, a familiar figure with a shock of almost white hair and ice-blue eyes.

"Andrew!" the Chosens all chorused out happily upon recognizing the Summoner.

"He's doing  _work_ , just  _wow_." Violet blinked, watching as the Summoner conjured a wall of flames and hurled it forwards at a group of soldiers, "Never thought I'd see something like that."

Andrew seemed to sense being talked about and looked in the direction of the Chosen. A smile lit up on his face before turning serious.

"I, High Summoner Andrew Daybreaker Summers, Judge of the League, Support Class, unbind the Champions and Chosens from their limitations until the end of the conflict today!" he called out.

* * *

 _"…Oh Andrew…"_  Leona whispered.

"What?" Cira asked, not liking the tone of worry in the Solari's voice.

_"Cira, I'm sorry. But this might be a bit painful."_

"Leona?"

"State your name and Champion to accept the terms," Andrew finished.

"Leo?" Cira repeated.

_"I'm sorry. Please…I want you to get out. But you might…be changed if you do."_

Cira's heart felt a little cold, but she gave a grim smile before lifting her voice.

"I am Cira Noble," she yelled as she stood protectively in front of her fellow Chosen and facing down a bunch of soldiers, "I am Leona, the Radiant Dawn,"

"I am Arthur Jonson," Arthur roared, holding Cira's free hand, "I am Pantheon, the Artisan of War,"

"I am Mir Marama," Mir called, gripping her crescent blade almost protectively, "I am Diana, the Scorn of the Moon,"

"I am Dianne Faye," Dianne added, "We are Kindred, the Eternal Hunters,"

"I am Eva Faye," Eva called out, "I am Elise, the Spider Queen,"

"I am Sable Witchbriar," Sable yelled, "I am Evelynn, the Agony's Embrace,"

"I am Samuel Falmer," came Samuel's roar, "I am Gragas, the Rabble Rouser,"

"I am Shane Korrigan," Shane started, "I am Shen, the Eye of Twilight,"

"I am Zayne Umbero," Zayne growled, his dual blades flicking out as his shadows danced around him and he looked at his fellow Project, "I am Zed, the Master of Shadows,"

"I am Akela Hisau," Akela stated, her kamas glinting, "I am Akali, the Fist of Shadow,"

"I am Silver Gunmetal," Silver continued, holding his bow, "I am Varus, the Arrow of Retribution,"

"I am Mya Grace," Mya chirped, cradling Fishbones and Pow-Pow in her arms, "I am Jinx, the Loose Cannon,"

"I am Finley O'Connor," Finley drawled, "I am Draaaaven, the Glorious Executioner,"

"I am Seamus O'Connor," Seamus called, shouldering his axe, "I am Darius, the Hand of Noxus,"

"I am Seluna Rossignol," Seluna called, Valor shifting on her shoulder, "I am Quinn and this is Valor, we are Demacia's Wings,"

"I am Galen Varlen," Galen started, louder than he'd spoken before, "I am Soraka, the Starchild,"

"I am Alexander Graham," Alex added, "I am Kog'Maw, the Mouth of the Abyss,"

"I am Leon Age," Leon continued, his whispery voice carrying a lot farther than it ever had, "I am Nasus, the Curator of the Sands,"

"I am Gideon Michaels," Gideon growled, shooting his 'brother' a look, "I am Renekton, the Butcher of the Sands,"

"I am Zant Lynyrd," Zant started, "I am Rek'Sai, the Void Burrower,"

"I am Graham Dukes," Graham called, "I am Wukong, the Monkey King,"

"I am Victoria Meraux," Victoria challenged, looking proudly at the officers glaring at her before looking at her fellow Projects, "I am Fiora, ze Grand Duelist,"

"I am Caleb Tompkins," Caleb roared, "I am Viktor, the Machine Herald,"

"I am Agustin Bukalow," Agus started, "I am Tahm Kench, the River King,"

"I am Lorenzo Cardenas," Lorenzo added, "I am Twitch, the Plague Rat,"

"I am Brandon Zulis," Brandon called, "I am Udyr, the Spirt Walker,"

"I am Tommy Armstrong," Tommy said, "I am Talon, the Blade's Shadow,"

"I am Tracy Armstrong," Tracy grinned, looking at her cousin and then at her fellow Projects, "I am Katarina, the Sinister Blade,"

"I am Kaitlyn Armstrong," Kaitlyn smiled coyly, "I am Cassiopeia, the Serpent's Embrace,"

"I am Amelia Whitworth," Amelia called confidently, "I am Ashe, the Frost Archer,"

"I am David Allen," David grinned, leaning on his bat, "I am Ekko, the Boy Who Shattered Time,"

"I am Nick Diamond," Nick bellowed, "I am Sion, the Undead Juggernaut,"

"I am Anthony Diamond," Anthony yelled, "I am Urgot, the Dreadnought,"

"I am Josh Ambing," Josh called, "I am Bard, the Wandering Caretaker,"

"I am Piotr Kozlov," Piotr smiled, "I am Braum, the Heart of the Freljord,"

"I am Krista Rhon," Krista started, gripping her spear tight, "We are Kalista, the Spear of Vengeance,"

"I am Vivian Vauclain," Vivian stated, "I am Camille, the Steel Shadow,"

"I am Lenny Wood," Lenny huffed, his cigar in his mouth as he put his shotgun on his shoulder, "I am Graves, the Outlaw,"

"I am Amber Undina," Amber smiled, "I am Nami, the Tidecaller,"

"I am Hailey Cannon," Hailey said, shyly, "I am Aurelion Sol, the Star Forger,"

"I am Ana Lynn," Ana yelled, "I am Veigar, the Tiny Master of Evil,"

"I am Lysander Blake," Lysander beamed as Pix hovered over his shoulder, "I am Lulu, the Fae Sorceress,"

"I am Brigit Fianna," Brigit smiled gently, "I am Sona, the Maven of the Strings,"

"I am Andreas Delmont," Andreas rumbled, "I am Malphite, the Shard of the Monolith,"

"I am Harry Karum," Harry snorted as Krista glared daggers at him, "I am Hecarim, the Shadow of War,"

"I am Jonathan Cross Jr," Jonathan stated, "I am Lucian, the Purifier,"

"I am Hayden White," Hayden growled as Jonathan glared at him, "I am Thresh, the Chain Warden,"

"I am Ariel Royal," Ariel smiled, "I am Ahri, the Nine Tailed Fox,"

"I am Emilia Naethos," Emilia beamed, hugging a teddy bear to her chest as fire flashed in her eyes, "I am Annie the Dark Child,"

"I am Hazel Naethos," Hazel added, putting a hand on Emilia's shoulder, "I am Taliyah, the Stone Weaver,"

"I am Dylan Cross," Dylan grinned, looking at his fellow Projects, "I am Yasuo, the Unforgiven,"

"I am Fabien L'Amour," Fabien beamed, flourishing his feathered cape, "I am Rakan, the Charmer,"

"I am Kristen L'Amour," Kristen added, two feather daggers appearing in her hand, "I am Xayah, the Rebel,"

"I am Chao Long," Chao started, "I am Lee Sin, the Blind Monk,"

"I am Sylvia Lazar," Sylvia smiled, looking at Zayne as she called a sphere of darkness into being, "I am Syndra, the Dark Sovereign,"

"I am James Flint," James drawled, tapping his cutlass, "I am Gangplank, the Saltwater Scourge,"

"I am Sarah Flint," Sarah purred, whirling her guns around, "I am Miss Fortune, the Bounty Hunter,"

"I am Alejandra Trujilo," Alejandra boomed, hefting a large idol, "I am Illaoi, the Kraken Priestess,"

"I am Maximillian Sheldon," Maximillian started, getting a shuddering glare from Cira before she calmed down, "I am Malzahar, the Prophet of the Void,"

"I am Jin Jhiāng," Jin said, holding Whisper loosely, "I am Jhin, the Virtuoso,"

"I am Alexander Solaris," Alexander started proudly, "I am Azir, Emperor of the Sands,"

"I am Xavier Acen," Xavier growled, magic crackling around his fingers, "I am Xereth, the Magus Ascendant,"

"I am Ashuros Bleeder," Ashuros hissed, "I am Nocturne, the Eternal Nightmare,"

"I am Tyler Crown," Tyler rasped, "I am Fiddlesticks, the Harbinger of Doom,"

"I am Jason Woores," Jason cackled, "I am Shaco, the Demon Jester,"

"I am Ruben Synne," Ruben smiled, "I am Taric, the Shield of Valoran,"

"I am Caroline Edwards," Carol called, "I am Caitlyn, the Sheriff of Piltover,"

"I am Violet Sydney," Violet smirked, "I am Vi, the Piltovian Enforcer,"

"I am Amelia Pond," Amelia beamed, "I am Lux, the Lady of Lumosity,"

"I am Jake Tuspy," Jake roared, "I am Volibear, the Thunder's Roar,"

"I am Maria Jennings," Maria smiled, thorny vines twining around her hands, "I am Zyra, the Rise of the Thorns,"

"I am Keith Randall," Keith grinned, whirling around his boomerang, "I am Gnar, the Missing Link,"

"I am Kaidan Darkhound," Kaidan smiled, looking at Tracy, who grinned back, "I am Garen, the Might of Demacia,"

"I am Aries Blanc," Aries drawled, flipping a card between her fingers, "I am Twisted Fate, the Card Master,"

"I am Phaedon Knight," Phaedon purred, "I am Vladamir, the Blood Mage,"

"I am Zack Turner," Zack stated proudly, holding his spear, "I am Jarvan IV, the Exemplar of Demacia,"

"I am Wallace Johnson," Wallace drawled, "I am Kled, the Cantankerous Cavalier,"

"I am Isaac Turner," Isaac grinned, "I am Brand, the Burning Vengeance,"

"I am Stan Jackson," Stan bellowed, "I am Galio, the Colossus,"

"I am Adrian Greene," Adrian smiled, "I am Ivern, the Green Father,"

"I am Chris Hayes," Chris laughed, "I am Zac, the Secret Weapon,"

"I am Rex Montana," Rex growled, holding his mace menacingly, "I am Mordekaiser, the Iron Revenant,"

"I am Samuel Manzi," Samuel stated, "I am Ryze, the Rune Mage,"

"I am Ellie Commodore," Ellie smiled as the Ball whirled around her head, "I am Orianna, the Lady of Clockwork,"

"I am William Commodore," William added, "I am Blitzcrank, the Steam Golem,"

"I am Kain Rogers," Kain smirked, "I am Kha'Zix, the Voidreaver,"

"I am Katherine Rogers," Katherine added with a wry grin, "I am Rengar, the Pridestalker,"

"I am Micah Swerman," Micah said, "I am Yorick, the Shephard of Souls,"

"I am Desdemona Hart," Desdemona grinned madly, "I am Dr. Mundo, the Madman of Zaun,"

"I am Ketill Hildebrand," Ketill huffed, "I am Ornn, the Fire Below the Mountain,"

"I am Noel Hikari," Noel laughed, "I am Ezreal, the Prodigal Explorer,"

"I am Kyra Makani," Kyra smiled gently as she held her staff, "I am Janna, the Storm's Fury,"

"I am Onyx Kurozan," Onyx replied serenely, "I am Karma, the Enlightened One,"

"I am Ana Testarosa," Ana smirked, holding her staff, "I am LeBlanc, the Deceiver,"

"I am Valencia Storm," Val hummed, "I am Vayne, the Night Hunter,"

"I am Matthias Churchill," Matthias said, "I am Swain, the Master Tactician,"

"I am Echo Avila," Echo smiled, "I am Anivia, the Cryophoenix,"

"I am Toby Caron," Toby mumbled, before smiling as he looked at his newfound friends and family, "I am Amumu, the Sad Mummy,"

"I am Harold Lynn," Harold chuckled, putting a hand on Ana's shoulder and squeezing it affectionately, "I am Heimerdinger, the Revered Inventor,"

"I am Adrian Krazozinkski," Adrian bellowed, "I am Poppy, the Keeper of the Hammer,"

"I am Howard Klass," Howard nodded, "I am Zilean, the Chronokeeper,"

"I am Brandon Roy," Brandon smiled, ignoring the mutters of 'Satan' from a few Chosens, "I am Teemo, the Swift Scout,"

"I am Mikayla Biggs," Mikayla beamed, "I am Tristana, the Yordle Gunner,"

"I am Vesper Noble," Vesper giggled, holding onto Cira's arm as Cira and Arthur both smiled down at her, "I am Zoe, the Aspect of Twilight,"

"I am Garfield Rivers," Gar growled, tightening his grip on his harpoon, "I am Pyke, the Bloodharbor Ripper,"

"I am Robert Dexton," Robert smirked, "I am Rumble, the Mechanized Menace,"

"I am Timothy Edwards," Timothy grinned, "I am Corki, the Daring Bombadier,"

"I am Luciana Kristofferson," Luciana stated, "I am Lissandra, the Ice Witch,"

"I am Lief Ashryver," Lief beamed from atop a massive six armed yeti, "We are Nunu and Willump, the Boy and his Yeti,"

"I am Tatjana Negrescu," Tatjana roared as Bristle snorted and stomped, "I am Sejuani, the Winter's Wrath,"

"I am Marissa Billings," Marissa said, standing alongside Dylan, "I am Riven, the Exile,"

"I am Sonja Chadayev," Sonja growled, dragon fire crackling around her fists, "I am Shyvana, the Half Dragon,"

"I am Demetrius Denike," Demetrius smirked, "I am Jax, the Grandmaster at Arms,"

"I am Vincent Dakolios," Vincent said, tapping Rhaast on the ground, getting a snarl from the Darkin, "I am Kayn, the Shadow Reaper,"

"I am Kendra Djawadi," Kendra snarled, bearing her teeth in a feral grin, "I am Warwick, the Wrath of Zaun,"

"I am Yoshioka Monzaemon," Yoshioka smiled, "I am Irelia, the Will of the Blades,"

"I am Lucy McCallum," Lucy stated, "I am Kassadin, the Void Walker,"

"I am Agnes Stratton," Agnes added, looking at Lucy, who smiled, "I am Kai'sa, the Daughter of the Void,"

There was a loud snapping sound, almost as if some barrier of glass had been snapped in twain…and all the Chosen fell to their hands and knees in agony.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

_The League has always had our Champions hold back what they can truly do. It is all in the form of balance even though it is harder for some more than others. I don't know what it is everyone can do, I don't even know what my own can do when her chains are broken and she's allowed to use her full potential. All I know is that it is not good for the party it is being inflicted on._

Something snapped inside of Cira, like a thin pain of glass that got hit with a sledgehammer. The slender wall that separated Leona from her seemed to have broken, she felt…whole. Not two halves of the same whole, but one. They were the same person rather than two separate personas. Her red-blonde hair turned white, her eyes changed to a slightly more almond shape while her face became more of a heart shape. Pain shook her system as error messages flashed over her visor.

"Leo…" Cira grunted, falling to a knee and digging her sword into the earth.

_"Get up."_

Cira stopped for a moment, that voice sounded like Leona, but the warmth was all gone. This was more of warrior than a protector. This was a leader. Cira staggered upright, her shield slipping from her grasp but neither she nor Leona moved to pick it up.

 _"Say it with me,"_  Leona ordered,  _"We will take them all down together,"_

Cira nodded and raised her blade to the sky, its keen edge blazing in the sunlight.

"That which you give to me, I freely return," she started as the blade began to glow, "I defend the innocent, protect those who cannot protect themselves."

The sun started darkening as the moon's shadow fell upon them. An eclipse? Cira's worry was pushed aside as Leona took control.

"I am the Sun's Mercy, it's Chosen." Leona called, "I am the Sun's Wrath, it's Warrior."

"I am it's avatar upon this earth," Cira finished, "Let its light burn the wicked to ash and let truth shine forever more!"

She gave a yell of triumph as a coil of scarlet and gold fire shot from the sky and slammed into the earth around her. When it cleared…it was a very,  _very_  different Leona that stood upright.

Her armor retained much of its classic form, the battle skirt that trailed from her hips was no longer gold, and neither was the rest of her armor. Sparks flickered from her now blackened armor, giving the illusion of iron just taken from a forge. A circlet of iron spires crowned her now blonde hair that cascaded down her back. Her shield burned black, a flickering orange starburst within the more triangular shape. Her sword still kept its golden hue, but the leaf-shaped edge was now inverted into a scythed curve, still deadly sharp.

"We are unbound," the blue and gold eyed Radiant Dawn growled, leveling her sword at the soldiers before her, "Thou hast made a mistake in challenging the Aspect of the Sun. A mistake thou will pay for with thine lives,"

She dashed forwards, a blur of scarlet, black and gold, trailing sparks and flame in her wake as she tore through the line. Her shield clicked into shape, a glowing aurora flaring about her as her sword cut a line of blackness in the air, hurling her forwards as it stuck fast in a soldier's chest. She pushed off the dying man's chest and into the air, giving a slow, elegant turn as she came back to earth, slamming the shield into the ground, sending up a wave of sunfire. She stood upright from her kneeling position and raised her sword, a war cry tearing forth from her lips as the darkened sun blazed and a pillar of orange fire screamed from the heavens, cascading around her. She stepped forth, ignoring the tortured screams of men burning alive. Her armor glowed with a cherry red hue, like iron heated in flame. Her blonde hair turned more into a flickering ember, burning from blonde to scarlet as the spires converged, creating a true helm that shadowed her face, leaving twin blued-gold embers for eyes as a halo of golden light blazed around her head.

Her shield clicked back into shape as she flourished her blade, all the fiery avatar she embodied. Her eyes flicked over the battlefield as she saw her fellow Chosen fighting around her. Amelia stood behind Matthew, picking off soldiers and pinning their feet to the now hoarfrost covered ground as her white hair blew about her face in the maelstrom of snow that whirled around her. Tatjana charged forwards, her flail swinging with deadly force as her own blizzard of hail and ice shrieked around her. Luciana calmly strode forth, the air crackling and shimmering around her as soldiers froze in unnatural shapes as soon as the crackling air enveloped them in a silent white death.

Matthew roared, his blade flashing and slicing through the soldiers pinned to the ground by Amelia's shooting skills. He took multiple wounds from guns and fists and the like, but the blazing red aura around him said he was not going to fall any time soon. Sigurd also rushed into the fray, his axes whirling and coming up bloody as a flaming aura shone about him as well, like Matthew, not falling and showing no sign of stopping. Christopher grinned as he raised Boneshiver, pillars of ice bursting through the ground as soldiers fell to the ground before him, drained, before getting clubbed in their prone states.

She turned away from the Chosens of the North and faced others. She saw Emelia throw an innocent stuffed bear into the air, only for it to transform into a horrifying fiery demon bear as the nearest soldier picked it up, blue fire crackling around the girl and the bear both. Hazel saw soldiers coming to flank her baby sister, and slammed her foot into the ground, sending the earth into a frenzied buckling state. Spears of stone shot through the ground, impaling those unlucky enough to be in the way and the earth groaned as it tore itself apart, creating great chasms that swallowed men whole and then closed forever. Feyre bounded forwards, a blur of teeth and claws and spears as she shifted from human form to feline form, ripping and tearing her way through the line.

Screams tore her attention from the three and she saw Sable ripping her way through the line, shadows trailing from her but that only served to make her beauty more entrancing. The men looked dazed, almost love struck as the Agony's Embrace strutted towards them, her lashers swaying gently behind her…and that love struck look disappeared into screams of pain as Sable tore them to pieces. Silvery spiderwebs crawled across the ground, soldiers caught in that deathtrap were consumed by spiderlings or by the massive Shelob-sized spider that dropped from nowhere and sank her fangs into their necks before reverting to a semi-humanoid Eva who grinned as she continued on her rampage. However, there was one part of the battlefield that was quiet. And that was where the most bodies were.

Kindred walked alone, surrounded by bodies that had no mark on them whatsoever. They continued walking, passing through the line…and as soon as they came in a certain range of someone, the soldier just dropped to the ground, dead. The pale half of Death raised her hand and the dark half of Death charged forwards, becoming more than just a spectre, not a cloud shaped wolf, but an actual lupine creature whose paws thundered against the ground as he leaped forwards and started tearing out throats and ravaging whoever he pounced upon. The Lamb raised her bow and shot into the sky, the single arrow became dozens and all sought the hearts of soldiers Wolf had not gone after.

She turned her attention from the deathly trio and started going through the battlefield, trailing sparks and flame as her sword flashed and shield blazed. She saw a white-haired Violet dashing through the enemy, carving a line before grabbing someone, dragging them into the air before slamming them down to earth while Jake and Caroline sniped those behind her that tried to harm the Project. A few soldiers stepped into jagged bear traps, screaming as their ankles snapped. They ceased screaming as a red dot appeared on their foreheads and a bullet put them out of their misery as Caroline loaded another bullet into the chamber of her rifle.

 _"Where are our loved ones?"_  she thought, looking through the battlefield and trying to spy Arthur, Mir, or Vesper.

She continued through the battlefield, the eclipse above her painting everything in a vermillion twilight. A faint whining sound caught her attention and she turned around just for a bronze colored shield to stop a bullet with a mighty clanging sound.

"You should be more careful, my Sun," her savior said, turning around to reveal Arthur's face, though now scarred and his blond hair much darker, almost brown as his own blue and gold gaze burned in the dark light.

"Do not worry about me," she told him, "We can take care of ourselves,"

"You always say that," Pantheon chastised, "But that does not mean it is true,"

She raised an eyebrow before moving faster than his eyes could track as a loud clanging sound pinged off her shield, the bullet thudding to the ground. Arthur gave a laugh and a shake of his head as a small smile tugged at his fiancée's lips.

"Cira! Leona!" came Andrew's voice as the Summoner charged up, still holding a pale imitation of the Solari's shield, "I can get everyone out, but I need you to stall while I do. Can you do that?"

She gave a nod.

"You can count on us, Andrew," she told him as Arthur came up to her.

"Together?" he asked, holding out a hand.

She put her hand in it, their shields clanking together with a low iron tone.

"Together," she agreed and the two dashed away together.

Andrew knelt to the ground, violet runes starting to glow in a circle around him as he began to mutter under his breath. This was going to take a long while, and it was risky, there was no guarantee that the portal would stay stable…but it would have to be enough.

The two Targonians tore through the battlefield, streaks of sunfire and starfire. Bullets rained around them, particularly from a tower above them. Pantheon looked at his fiancée, who gave a nod and darted forwards, skidding to a stop and planting herself, the bottom of her shield digging into the dirt. Pantheon rushed forwards, leaping onto the metal surface only for the Solari to push the shield upwards with inhuman strength. He shot into the air with a battlecry as he rammed into the snipers in their nest, easily dispatching them within moments. He hopped off the nest, cratering the earth below with the impact as he got back to his feet and walked towards her.

"Very well done," she smiled.

"Why thank you," he returned, "Now…where to next?"

She looked around at the battlefield, seeing Vesper putting people to sleep before hurling little stars at them. Seeing Mir dashing through the army, armor and white hair spattered with blood as her blade dripped crimson. Seeing Ryo soaring high above and raining holy fire upon the enemy ranks as she dove and set them ablaze. Then there were those who had inhuman Champions. Two dragons rampaged through the area, one breathing fire, the other starlight, their tails and claws swiping and causing just as much devastation as the fire was. A massive creature of blackened exoskeleton and sharp teeth grabbing and devouring whoever was unlucky enough to get close while a smaller one spat acid. A massive colossus of petricite and gold slammed into the ground from a high altitude, causing the earth to shake and shatter with the impact. Everyone was fighting.

They saw the Delta team fighting for their lives, shotgun shells rang out, blades sliced, the screams of drowning men…and those being impaled where they stood. Krista was a terrifying sight to behold. The Black Mist roiled and screamed around her, surrounding her in a living shroud. Her pitch black armor was littered with millions of glittering teal specks, the souls of those who lived in her. The Mist coiled every tendon, every muscle. The very air felt heavy with an aura of fear and dread as her spears cast an eerie sheen across the blackened shroud. Vivian hissed as a bullet nicked her shoulder and Krista's eyes blazed, her face darkening as she gave an almight  _shriek_  of rage.

The Mist blew apart, swallowing everything in sight before taking form once again. Human forms stood behind the Spear of Vengeance, glowing and ethereal as Black Mist coiled around and over them. Thousands of people, an army of her own. The former General pointed a spear at the army that suddenly  _very_  much wished they weren't there.

 ** _"GET THEM!"_**  Krista roared,  ** _"PUNISH THE BETRAYERS! KILL THEM ALL!"_**

The dark host rushed forwards with shrieks and wails, tearing through the soldiers and adding their screams to the cacophony. Krista picked up Vivian, still shaking with rage, and started dragging her backwards…right as a bright violet flash burned across the battlefield.

"EVERYONE THROUGH THE GATEWAY!" came Andrew's voice over the chaos, magically amplified to carry, " _NOW_!"

Arthur grabbed his fiancée's hand and the two started running, the latter stopping to scoop Vesper into her arms and hold her close to her chest as she sprinted forwards. She stopped at the portal, handing Vesper to Arthur.

"Go. We will follow as soon as everyone is through," she said.

"But…"

"GO!" she snarled, fire blazing off her armor.

"Not until you go as well," Arthur snapped, "I'm not leaving you again. Not now, not ever,"

She shot him an unamused glare and he shot her another one. He wouldn't break, neither of them would.

"Fine," she growled as he moved to stand at her side.

They waited until all the Chosens had gone through, even Sienna who was being carried by Jonathan. Andrew looked at the little family and gestured.

"The gate will close as soon as I go through," he said, "Go. I'm right behind you, Cira, Leona,"

"Andrew…" she started, " _Thank_  you. Thank you for finding us,"

He gave a smile.

"I wouldn't have done otherwise,"

And with that, they went through and the gate closed.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

_Runeterra has become a second home to most of us, a first home for some of the others. It's a place of beauty, magic and like all places, is very dangerous. But it isn't home. At least, to me it isn't._

_Not yet._

Pantheon slowly opened his eyes, pain flashed through every part of his body and he aborted the attempt to get up. So he looked at his surroundings. There were large windows that streamed sunlight, he could hear the birds chirping happily. The ceiling was high and vaulted marble etched with images that his eyes could barely pick out.

He knew this place.

 _"The Infirmary?"_  Arthur asked, making Pantheon start,  _"Sorry Panth, didn't mean to scare you."_

Pantheon tried to speak but his throat was too swollen from sleep. He felt a heavy weight on his chest and turned his head…just to see a familiar form cuddled into his side. Two familiar forms to be exact.

Zoe was huddled into his side, curled into a little ball. Leona had her arm across both him and Zoe, protectively (or possessively he didn't know) holding them close. He raised his hand and placed it on the ivory locks of Leona's head.

Leona jolted, her hand laying on the other two snapping up and grabbing Pantheon's in a vise-like grip.

"Good morning to you as well," he croaked.

Leona's panicked gold and blue gaze turned less afraid as a flicker passed over her, turning her hair red once again and smoothing over the scarred features.

"We…got out?" she asked hoarsely.

He nodded, drawing her closer and getting a sudden squawk from Zoe, who had woken up and found herself squished between her parents.

"Mama…Daddy…can't… _breathe_!" she gasped as she squirmed to get comfortable.

Her parents both laughed, helped her to get comfortable and then held her, and each other, tighter.

"Don't let me go," Cira whispered.

"I don't plan to," Arthur replied.

* * *

Andrew came in to see the little family huddled together, Leona holding Zoe close while the two rested and Pantheon with his arm around Leona, watching the area closely while the two ladies slept.

The Artisan of War looked up at Andrew and Andrew realized how odd the male Targonian looked without his ever present helmet.

"It took me a minute to realize that was you," Andrew said, "I'm not used to seeing you without your helmet,"

Pantheon chuckled, shaking his head.

"Too uncomfortable to rest in," he said, shifting to hold Leona closer as the woman gave a shuddering cry and clung to him tighter, "Easy, it's alright. You are safe, they cannot harm you,"

She seemed to relax slightly before her golden eyes blinked open blearily before they darkened to a blued-grey.

"An…drew?" Cira muttered as Andrew came closer and put a hand on her knee.

"It's me," he told her, "You've been out for a while,"

"How long…"

"Few days. It's been hectic trying to keep Astra, Orion and Jagen from breaking down the door to see you," he chuckled, "But it seems you're recovering nicely,"

The older Targonians looked at one another before leaning into each other. Andrew's face knit into a slight frown as he saw the scarring on both of them. Likely translated over from the whole ordeal and from both of them having been Unbound for a while. The physical scars would heal soon, the mental ones however…

"I'm sorry," he told them, "I failed you both. I failed  _all_  of you. I should have protected you, I should have been more careful I-"

"Stop that," came the firm order from Leona, "it is not your fault, it's not  _our_  fault. It's not anyone's fault that this happened except the ones that did this to us. We're out now and that's all that matters."

"I still could have done more,"

Leona hissed as she tried to move, multiple groaning and creaking sounds came from the straining pistons as she slid her legs off the bed and shakily stood. Andrew could see sparks spitting from the crook of her elbow as the hologram flickered slightly. She grabbed his chin in a vice-grip, forcing him to look up at her.

"It. Was.  _Not_. Your. Fault," she growled, her eyes flashing blue and gold as Cira chimed in, "Do you understand me! You did what you could, you found us, you helped us get out of there. We would still be stuck there if it weren't for you. Do  _not_  beat yourself up because of that,  _do we make ourselves clear_."

"That changes nothing and you know that," he argued.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head and muttering something about stubbornness before looking at him.

"If you want forgiveness so much, fine. I give you mine. Even though I still do not find you at fault,"

"I would take her up on that," Pantheon warned, "Her temper is starting to flare and I believe that is something  _none_  of us want?"

Andrew gave a slight laugh and a nod.

"That is true. The infirmary is full of wounded warriors in the first place. We don't want to undo all the work our medical staff had done,"

He gestured back towards the bed where Pantheon and Zoe lay.

"Go rest, you've all been through so much."

* * *

It had been a few days since Vivian had woken up in the Infirmary and she was just now getting back to her feet. She stopped and shook her head, she needed to stop thinking that way. Given the fact that she didn't exactly have 'feet' anymore.

In any case, she was up and moving around again. She'd seen most of her team, even the equine Harry, all wandering around and recovering. The only one she hadn't run into was Krista.

The spectre was always the hardest to find of the Delta Team. Mainly due to her liking to use the Mist to take her wherever she wanted to be. Which…made her nearly untrackable. However, Krista always made a circuit back to one area Vivian had noticed in all her years of being around her.

Vivian pushed aside a tree branch and gave a slight smile as she felt the area get quite a bit colder. She kept going and found what she was looking for.

Krista sat on a fragment of marble pillar overlooking a reflection pool. The spirit watched the water eddy in reaction to the Mist that coiled along its surface. The lotus blossoms had closed, but they always tended to do that when the Mist came, though, this was the first time Vivian noticed a touch of frost on them. A sharp shriek made Vivian jump and she spied the teal shade of a child standing before her before rushing to Krista. The Spear of Vengeance looked up at the sound and held her arm to the shade, who transformed into a wisp of light and coiled around her until reforming into the third spear in her back.

"I see you're well," Vivian started, coming into the light.

The Mist retracted, coming closer to Krista and wrapping her in its darkness until she waved her hand and dismissed it.

"You could say that," Krista responded, turning to look back at the pool.

"You're awfully quiet as well," Vivian pointed out, coming forwards as her prosthetics left sharp slash marks in the soft soil, "Care to tell me what's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong with us," Krista told her before starting and shaking her head violently, "Me. Nothing wrong with  _me_."

"Are you alright?"

"We'r- _I'm_  fine,"

"You're slipping into your habit again," Vivian noted, "You only start doing that when you're distracted or something is bothering you,"

"It's nothing, Viv," Krista growled, "Let it go,"

"Fine," Vivian stated, though her tone said otherwise, "I had something else I wanted to ask you."

Krista looked at her expectantly.

"How did you get out?"

Krista was silent for a moment before muttering to herself so quietly Vivian couldn't hear her.

"I didn't catch that," Vivian said, crossing her arms.

Krista gave a sigh and got off the marble ruin and came closer to her superior. It was odd how Vivian was now about the same height as she was rather than Krista being at least a foot taller. Then again, it was odd seeing Kalista standing straight-backed rather than in her hunter's prowl.

"They didn't have those dampeners calibrated right for me," Krista told her, twining a strand of her long black hair around her fingers, "So I just generated a bunch of Mist, got them worried that I might break out and then I ended up breaking out when they opened the door and came into my cell,"

"You're not telling the whole truth," Vivian scowled, "I know when you are lying to me, Krista. You might not be in the body I'm used to being around, but I  _know_  you. You still have that little tic where you start pulling on your hair when you lie,"

Krista did  _not_  look amused.

"You could always see through us, Viv,"

" _Me_ , Krista,"

"Me," the spectre agreed before sighing and reaching to touch the blackened spear that tore through the front of her armor, "Do you remember what Kalista told Amber when we got shot a while ago?"

Vivian frowned. What  _had_  sh-

The Steel Shadow's eyes flashed in realization. Kalista had told Amber that she was weaker than she normally was…because Krista was  _alive_.

"You didn't…"

"We…I…did," Krista said, "I made a Pledge and it made her stronger."

"Krista… _why_?" Vivian demanded, coming closer, "Why did you do this?!"

"Because it was to get you out," Krista told her, "Viv, I don't see why you're making a big deal about it. The other Shadow Isles Chosens are. It makes sense that I should be as w-"

_SMACK_

Krista staggered before falling to the ground with no amount of grace whatsoever. The Spear of Vengeance held a shocked hand to her cheek, conflicted over whether or not to be surprised that she actually felt that or that Vivian had slapped her. The Mist roared up to defend her, bristling with misty spears and swords as Krista got back to her feet, a flare of anger going through her.

"How  _dare_  you!"

"No," Vivian snapped icily, "How dare  _you_. All those years we've been together, all those times I've saved your life on the battlefield, that Lenny, Amber, even Harry saved you. And you  _throw it away_  just to get power. How  _dare_  you disrespect the gift we all gave you! Our blood, sweat and tears shed. Amber could have let you die on that cliff and we would have gotten the same result. But she didn't because you are our  _family_ , Krista. You  _wasted_  everything we ever gave you! How  _dare_  you just flippantly phrase that false statement that it is  _no big deal_! How  _dare_  you!"

The Mist writhed around the spectre, shrieks and screams echoing faintly as she shook in anger.

"I did it for  _you_ ," Krista hissed, the Mist writhing as it cloaked itself around her, painting her in shadow and teal flame, "We didn't do it for me. I have  _nothing_  except for our team. I have lost  _everything_. We have  _nothing_  left on that planet. The only reason we stay there is because of you and Amber and Lenny. We have no family, no friends outside of you three and Cira and Dianne. You are  _family_  to us. And when we were presented with an opportunity to save you? We  _took it_. And you know what? We would  _gladly do it again!_ "

She took a step backwards, the Mist forming into a pillar.

"We must to attend to other matters," she spat, "Do not follow us,"

And she stepped through the Mist and vanished. Vivian gave a snarl of frustration and angrily kicked at the marble ruin, gouging it deeply as a harsh ringing sound sang above her and shards of spear-like rock showered into the water beside it with quiet plinking sounds.

 _"That was not befitting of a noble of Clan Ferros, Vivian,"_  Camille admonished.

"I do not care anymore Camille," Vivian hissed, "That fool of a child, I expected more out of her than that and…"

_"Oh I understand why you are angry. You thought her almost like a daughter. Just as she saw you as a mother. But, she held the Ferros motto with what she did,"_

"Camille." Vivian growled.

 _"'For family, will I give.'_ " Camille stated,  _"And give she did. She gave everything to protect and free_ you _, her only family she had left. Not by blood but by bond. I believe there is a saying on Earth? 'No greater love a man has than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'"_

"I thought you weren't interested in religion,"

_"I am not. But I do care for knowledge. To know what makes someone tick is a good asset for an assassin. Therefore, I do my research."_

Vivian huffed, still angry, but the notion that her squad mate hadn't done it out of selfishness still gnawed at her. The Assassin sat down on the marble ruin and put her head in her hands as her world came crashing down on top of her once again.

What had she done?

* * *

The spears cracked into the wood of the door, splintering it and causing the body they pinned to said portal to fall through in a crumpled heap. Krista brought her hand back to her side, summoning her spears back to her with a clenched fist. Another betrayer eradicated.

Another soul added to the amalgamation that was the Lady of Vengeance.

"Is there another one?" she asked.

 ** _"No,"_**  Kalista responded, though she didn't sound disappointed.

"You sound angry but it's not that there aren't any betrayers to hunt,"

 **"Why _?"_**  came the scathing demand,  ** _"Why would you do that to your superior and friend,"_**

"Do  _what_?" Krista growled as she strode through the Mist into desolate landscape.

 ** _"You know perfectly well what we mean, Krista!"_**  Kalista snapped,  ** _"ANSWER US!"_**

"She didn't understand the sacrifice we made," Krista replied, her tone dead as the landscape around her, "If she can't understand why we did it, then there was nothing more to talk about."

**_"…I."_ **

"What?"

 ** _"The sacrifice that_ I _made."_  **Kalista growled,  ** _"Not 'we'. '_ I' _. You are_ not _like us. We did_ not _Choose you so that you would become like us,"_**

"We are one and the same and you know it."

**_"No, Krista. We would not treat someone we viewed as a mother in that way,"_ **

Krista gave a low growl as she bounded across the ruined landscape of the Shadow Isles, sending up sprays of dry grey dust in the only place where she would ever leave a footprint. She was not in the mood to hear this.

**_"What you feel 'in the mood' to hear is not important. What happened, however, is,"_ **

"Cease this," Krista ordered as she continued to run, letting herself go and fly across the land, sending souls of lesser denizens scattering.

Suddenly, she felt control wrenched from her, sending her toppling to the ground in an ungainly tangle. Pain shot through the spirit's spears as they wrenched in an awkward position, making Kalista snarl with the sensation.

_"What did you do that for. Do you realize that we could have gotten ourselves hurt?"_

**"We do not care,"**  Kalista replied,  **" _I_  do not care. You, Krista Rhon, are acting like a child. A petulant child who cannot understand the consequences of what she has wrought.  _That_  is not how we act. Not how our Oathsworn acts,"**

She stretched out her hand and a flash of teal fire left it, the wisp of light forming into a ghostly version of Krista. The Chosen looked down at herself, holding her hands before her as she looked confusedly at Kalista…who looked  _very_  unamused.

 **"If you do not want to be our Chosen, then our Oathsworn you shall be. Forgotten, just as the many before you,"**  the spectre sneered, " **Tell me, Krista Rhon. Is that the legacy you wish to leave upon the world? Not as the Chosen of the Lady of Vengeance. The Chosen of Kalista Gáemor, former General of the Ruined King. But as a mere mortal who could not walk, who swore to be Oathbound in order to get back at those who betrayed her. _TELL ME! IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT!"_**

"…No…" Krista muttered.

**"We could not _hear_  you,  _Oathsworn_!"**

"I AM NOT YOUR  _OATHSWORN_  KALISTA!" Krista roared, "I AM YOUR CHOSEN!"

The spectre gave a smirk as she came up to Krista, almost so close as to touch her.

**"Then prove it."**

Krista's shade disappeared and was absorbed back into Kalista, who gave back control to Krista.

**_"Prove to us you are worthy of being our Chosen. But we wonder…how will you do this?"_ **

Krista looked up at the ever smoky sky and sighed.

"You are  _such_  a manipulative creature, you realize that?" she growled.

The  _smug_  feeling in her just fed that accusation.

* * *

Vesper slept fitfully in Cira's arms. The older woman hummed softly as she ran a scarred hand through the thick orange and violet curls. She smiled softly as Vesper snuggled closer. All was right in the world.

The sound of sandled footsteps caught her ear and she turned to see her fiancé coming towards her, unbuttoning his cloak and laying it about the two women in his life.

"I don't get cold, remember?" she chuckled.

"Let me be chivalrous for once," Arthur replied as he laid a hand on his daughter's back, "She's actually sleeping…"

"Yeah, just got her down. She was adamant of not leaving me,"

"Can you blame her?"

"No, I really can't,"

Arthur sat down beside Cira, slowly as the scars protested.

"Ci," he started, getting her to look at him, "Panth and I were thinking…why don't we go ahead with the wedding here? We'll get the one on Earth once things have calmed down, but…"

"These two have been waiting too, yeah," Cira nodded, "Leo and I were thinking the same thing. I say we should,"

A loud bell chime rang throughout the Institute, causing Vesper to wake up in a panic, grabbing onto her mother and whimpering.

 _"All Champions, please report to the main courtyard,"_  the cool woman announcer's voice called.

"Wonder what that's all about," Leona hummed as she got up, still holding her daughter.

"We shall see," Pantheon replied as the trio walked to the courtyard.

They were among the first to arrive, spotting some worn out faces amongst the other arrivals. Andrew stood in the center, flanked by a few other High Summoners. He did not look pleased at all.

"Andrew? What is the meaning of this?" Cira asked..

"I have a message from Earth," Andrew said, getting looks from the over 140 Champions and Chosens, "It seems they made a mistake,"

"Are they going to let us come home?" came Dianne's, Kindred's Chosen, voice.

"Maybe it finally got through their thick skulls," Evelynn's Chosen, Sable, smirked, "Took 'em long enough…"

"You're partially right," Andrew said, looking at Dianne, "You get to go home…and come here,"

"That's awesome!" came David, Ekko's Chosen's, voice as his dark form sputtered with deep emerald light, revealing white and dark blue-grey armor while his visor glowed a bright neon green, "Everything's back to normal then!"

Cira looked at Andrew, who had gained a sudden interest in his shoes.

"Andrew…what's wrong?" she asked, "Aren't you happy for us?"

"That's the thing, Cira…" Andrew murmured, looking up at the red-head, "Dianne is the only one allowed to come back and forth. A Barrier has been erected between Runeterra and Earth's portals so as to keep you safe…but it has been distorted from Earth's side to keep you here,"

The Institute shook with the roaring yells of protest. The pillars trembled and bits of the ceiling fell down as the Void Chosens and Hailey gave roars of anger, nearly squashing the Yordle Chosens and the Carry Chosens…who were only just saved by the Supports who either body blocked the pieces (Cira, Piotr, Agustin, Alexander, Ruben, Stan, William) or healed up to insane levels or blocked by other means (Amelia, Brigit, Galen, Fabien, Samantha, Ellie, Adrian, Ryo, Lysander, Josh, Amber, Hayden and Maria).

"Why me?" Kindred's Chosen asked.

"Because you're the Grim Reaper," Andrew stated, "They realized they needed you when people stopped dying and the world's population is starting to become a problem,"

"This isn't fair," Dianne growled, digging her furry fingers into her palm as her sister put a perfectly manicured hand on her shoulder.

Another hand, warm and calloused from constant battle, put itself on her other shoulder.

"Dianne," Cira asked, her form glitching slightly before reverting, "Could…could you pass messages along to our families…just to let them know we're alright? And…maybe tell us how they're doing?"

Dianne looked at the other Chosens, watching their tired, saddened forms. She nodded.

"I'll do my best, I promise,"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

 _Happy moments are few and far between for Chosens, we're so used to being hunted and chased that we have no time to celebrate. But that day…that day I will_ always _remember fondly._

_The day we married our best friend._

The day dawned bright and golden, Leona sat on the window sill, watching the sun rise and turn her skin into a golden prism that shattered light across the walls of the wooden home. Today was the day.

She looked back into the room, at the garment, snow white and simple, laying over the back of the chair. Her mind flashed backwards, and suddenly she was watching multi-colored shards of glass fly as men in armor came and…

"Leona?"

She shook herself out of the memory, holding a hand to her heart as Cira shuddered greatly. Astra came closer into the room, putting a hand on her daughter's warm skin.

"Are you ready to start?" she asked her, "Or do you need more time to let it sink in and wake up,"

"I'm fine," Leona told her, getting off the windowsill and starting towards the chair, "Just…had a bit of a bad memory come,"

Astra frowned and embraced her daughter tightly.

"This is twice I have lost you," she told her, "Please do not make it a third time,"

Leona gave a weary smile as she hugged her mother back.

"I do not plan to," she replied, "Now…I believe we have something to get ready for?"

She released her mother and picked up the white garment, smiling gently as she sat it on the bed for safekeeping while her mother prepared her.

"Diana will be coming later," her mother said, "There's some parts she needs to help me with. But first…"

She took her daughter's hand and led her out of the house towards the spring. Leona gave a smile, tradition, after all, was quite important to their people. The first part would be taking the purifying bath in the hot springs near the village.

The mother and daughter duo were the only ones at the springs save for the guardians watching the entrance. They knew not to let anyone other than Leona and her kin inside for now. Leona carefully removed her coverings and eased into the water, wincing as the warm liquid aggravated the three long scars down her back. Her mother knelt on the shore, humming quietly to herself as she began to help her daughter bathe. Leona hissed as Astra went over a particularly tender scar.

"Sorry," she apologized, "I didn't realize that one was still tender, it looks old."

"They're all tender, but that one is a particular pain," Leona told her.

"I'm surprised you're not constantly complaining about it,"

"I've learned to deal with it,"

Astra fell silent as she moved to washing her daughter's hair, the sweet scent of lilac blooms and lavender filling the air before Leona ducked under the water via her mother's instruction. With that done, the bath was complete and the rest of the preparation could continue.

The two hurriedly made it back to the house, doing their best to not be seen by anyone. Once inside, the second part of the ritual was starting. Leona sat down in the chair as her mother picked up a pair of shears, gently holding a long lock of scarlet hair.

"I so regret doing this," she muttered, "Your hair was always so beautiful. I love the way it lays…"

"It'll grow back," Leona chuckled, "Who knows, perhaps it won't get tangled,"

"It wouldn't get tangled if you would brush it, Little Sun," Astra pointed out.

"But that takes far too long,"

Astra rolled her eyes and snipped the long lock of hair. To Leona's surprise…the red lock turned ivory as it hit the ground. Her mother frowned, and picked up the bleached white lock, holding it up to show her daughter.

"…Is there something you want to tell me, Leona," her mother started quietly, "Or rather… _show_  me,"

Leona's blood turned to ice.

"I don't want to," she muttered, "I really,  _really_  do not want to."

"…the first disappearance?"

Leona looked at her and nodded, tears forming.

"I figured," her mother said, continuing to cut until the floor looked like it was covered in snow, "Whoever covered it up is quite good. I couldn't feel the armor when I was washing the scars,"

"How did y-?!"

"I found out when you slept here," Astra murmured, "gave me quite the scare when I saw you, I will not lie. I did not think it was you until you seemed to flicker and it showed you as you are, were, I do not know anymore. The point is, Leona, I know. I know this isn't what you truly look like, and I would rather see you as you are rather than a former shadow."

Leona held her arm as a flicker passed over her.

"I'm sorry, but I can't," she whispered, "I don't want anyone to see me like that. Please,"

Astra sighed, "Fine, but know this, you are  _my_  daughter. And I do not care what you look like, you haven't changed your heart and that is all that matters."

* * *

Pantheon stood in front of the temple altar, impatiently waiting for Leona to come. Jagen put a hand on his son's shoulder, chuckling.

"You seem tense, my son,"

"Can you blame me," Pantheon deadpanned, "I am preparing to wed my best friend, something that I have been waiting to do for many years…and she is late,"

"Women are normally late, you know this,"

Pantheon snorted only to straighten up as sound of bells ringing and song floated into the temple. A procession of young women from the village, including both Diana and Zoe, came into the temple dancing joyfully as they showered the area with flower petals. He caught sight of a figure in white with golden flowers in her now shoulder length scarlet hair. Leona's golden eyes glowed happily as the sun blazed overhead with joy.

She made it to him and he took her hands, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"Eísai aktinovólos," he whispered, one eye golden, the other blue.

"Eísai ómorfos," she responded, smiling as her own eyes blazed the same before she took her place at her father's side.

"Is there anyone who says this couple should not be joined?" Jagen asked.

Silence.

"Orion, what say you?" Jagen asked the Solari male.

"What will you give me in exchange for my eldest daughter, Pantheon Atreus, son of Jagen Achilles and Helene Hestia," Orion asked.

"For Leona Aurelia, daughter of Orion Apollo and Astra Nyx," Pantheon started, "I give my shield to protect her, my spear to fight for her, my hands to build for her, my heart to love her, and my life to have her,"

Orion looked at his daughter.

"Does this seem good for you?" he asked.

She nodded and Orion smiled…before handing her her sword and shield.

"Come and claim me if you can, Pantheon Atreus!" Leona grinned, smacking her sword against her shield in a taunt.

Pantheon grinned as he took his spear and shield from his father and twirled it around before settling in a position where his spear rested on the shield.

"No cheating this time, Baker Boy," Leona teased, "I know what that spear does,"

"Oh you think I need that to defeat you," he chuckled, "Let us make this interesting then,"

He dropped his shield. Leona gave a smile and dropped her own, bringing up her sword in a horizontal position, smiling and almost daring him to come forwards. The two slowly walked up to one another, gently tapping the blade of her sword and of his spear against each other. They stood there quietly…until Pantheon gave a roguish grin and slammed her blade towards the earth.

Leona grinned and forced his spear upwards with a flick of her wrist. Sparks flew as the two came close, pushing against the other's weapons as their foreheads nearly touched. Pantheon swiped, knocking Leona backwards a few steps. She hopped back one more, setting her feet before charging in with a battle cry, slashing the glowing golden blade at him.

Pantheon raised his spear to block it, sending her sword sliding off the haft. She reared back for another blow. They were heavy, bone-rattling strikes that burned his hands and jarred his arms. He struck at her side, but she parried the blow, whirling around in a graceful arc as she set her feet once again, swiping the blade once before charging again. She slashed downwards at his head, he knocked it aside, whirling underneath it as sparks flared around them both. But there was something off.

She swiped at him again, lightning fast, only for him to parry it, blocking the vertical strike with the spear and angling his parry so her blade was caught between him and the spear and her chest was at his back. He looked at the blade…and noticed that her left hand wasn't holding on to the hilt.

"You're holding back," he muttered under his breath, knowing she could hear him as he let her loose and settled into position, "Not using your full strength,"

"I don't want to hurt you," she mumbled back, "You know I could easily do it,"

"Don't make it too easy," Arthur teased, "It's my pride here,"

"Alright then," Cira grinned, her blue eyes blazing, "COME!"

She shot towards him and their weapons connected, throwing sparks in the temple. Up, down, left, right, clashing and clanging rang throughout the atrium. It was not a fight, it was a dance between two blades, two spears. Complementing the other one as they whirled and fought one another yet no one could touch the other's skin. Leona charged at him, sword held aloft, Pantheon grinned as he ducked low, fitting his shoulder into her stomach and lifted her off the ground. Leona squealed in frustration as she kicked and thrashed.

"PANTHEON! PUT ME DOWN!" she yelled, yet laughter blazed in her eyes.

"NO!" he roared, grinning as he bolted out of the temple, laughing like a madman while Leona half-heartedly smacked his back, laughing herself.

It was over, the ceremony had finished. The feast however?

That had just begun.

* * *

Dianne waited patiently by the edge of the crowd. It wasn't too late, but they seemed a bit anxious. She felt a heavy hand on her thin shoulder and looked up to see Nick standing beside her. She promised she'd be at this place even though crowds and she did not get along well. It did not escape her notice that many were giving her a wide berth.

"You don't want to be here?" Nick asked.

"I want to be here, but crowds," she replied, watching as more Champions and Chosen arrived.

Nick hummed, watching as Vi, Jayce and Caitlyn arrived, or rather, Vi and Jayce came with the former carrying Caitlyn over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Caitlyn's expression was unamused as Vi laughed greatly.

Dianne's ears perked up slightly as she caught sight of flaming red hair off to the side. She turned to see a familiar dark haired man, carrying an equally familiar red haired woman in a bridal carry. The two shared a deep kiss right outside the gate before he delicately set her on the ground, her white gown flaring about her in the dying sunlight, dying it a dusky gold.

The love in their eyes was nearly tangible. It grew even more as a little girl bounded out of a portal and hugged them both, earning her a hug in return.

"Ladies, gentlemen and Warriors of the League," a Solari male called, "We present our bride and groom, Leona Aurelia and Pantheon Atreus! Let us raise our voices in welcome!"

The Rakkor and Solari all gave a loud chanting roar while the Champions applauded. Diana came up to the newlyweds, bearing two cups filled with wine. The bride and groom accepted the cups and Pantheon turned to the crowd.

"For a long and happy life," he started, "Let the reception commence!"

He and Leona linked arms, and drank from the linked cups, sending everyone into a massive cheering session.

Dianne came up to the newlyweds, smiling as the two leaned into one another, content.

"Congratulations you two!" she started, "I bet you're really happy,"

"You have no idea," Cira smiled as Arthur gently kissed her cheek.

"New hair cut?" Dianne teased, making Cira play with the newly shortened ends.

"Tradition. Supposed to signify the end of childhood Leo says,"

"I'm so happy for you two, you really deserve it," Dianne mumbled, "After everything…"

The two Targonian Chosens looked at one another before smiling and holding each other close.

"Thank you, Dianne," Pantheon nodded, watching as the Lamb's black eyes suddenly turned blue.

"Your lives will be long and prosperous," Lamb told them, "I see great things in store for your days. There is much light within your future, live well Leona and Pantheon,"

"Our thanks, Lamb," Leona smiled as the Kindred silently made their way away from the crowd and towards Nick.

"OI! Old Timer!" came a loud, boisterous laugh.

Leona chuckled and turned around to see Vi striding over with Caitlyn over her shoulder.

"Caitlyn, you didn't have to come if you did not want to," Leona told her.

"Like I had much of a choice," Caroline huffed, craning her neck to see the newlyweds, "Unfortunately, there is my _partner_  who does not know the meaning of the word  _no_!"

"Aw c'mon, Carol!" Violet grinned, "Who knows, maybe you'll find yourself a hunk of a mountain man at this party!"

"V-VIOLET!" Caroline squawked, making Violet roar with laughter.

"Just stay out of trouble," Cira chuckled, "I do hear the food is amazing and uh…I kinda wonder how long you're going to stay,"

Caitlyn's eyes narrowed.

"What is that supposed to mean,"

"You did not know?" Pantheon grinned, "Targonian weddings have short ceremonies…however the feast…that lasts seven days,"

Vi's eyes lit up as an evil grin crossed her face.

"Oh I see that as a challenge. I'm staying all seven, I'm also gonna drink all you mountain folk under the table!"

She then ran off with Caroline still over her shoulder, yelling to be put down. Pantheon laughed and turned to his newly made wife.

"Shall we?" he asked.

She took his hand, smiling.

"We shall,"

* * *

The party was in full swing by the time Vivian decided she wanted to step aside to take a breather. It was  _quite_  the event. Food and wine poured as if unending, so many diplomats and Champions were there. Then again, it was to be expected. With Pantheon being the Rakkor Chieftain's son and Leona being basically the head of the Solari Religion, it was almost akin to a royal wedding.

Her blades clicked lightly against the stone pathway as she walked and finally stopped by a tree. It was not a tall one like one would see in places such as Demacia, but the wood was worn smooth from decades of wind and sand and rock rubbing against it.

She sat down next to it, leaning her head back against the bark and closed her glowing emerald eyes for a brief moment…that is, until the warm summer night dropped in temperature. Vivian opened her eyes just to see a familiar glowing teal form before her.

"Krista," she greeted tersely, getting a flinch from the spectre, "I was expecting you to be here a lot sooner since you are good friends with Cira,"

"I didn't come here to talk to her," Krista admitted, "Well, I did congratulate her and Arthur on their wedding but that wasn't the real reason I showed up,"

"Oh? And what pray tell would that be?"

Krista gave a sigh as she leaned on a spear.

"I'm an idiot."

Vivian raised a perfect eyebrow.

"I do not believe I heard you. I am an old woman, nearly in her eighties, speak up,"

"Yeah and I'm 3000," Krista snapped back, "Don't give me the age card. Viv, I'm sorry. I was an idiot. I shouldn't have snapped and I shouldn't blow it off that I'm dead now."

She came closer and sat down next to Vivian.

"Viv, I did this for two reasons. One, I had nothing left, I was angry and hurt and betrayed. Two…I didn't know if it would work but I couldn't stand to see you and the others trapped in there. Do I regret it? No not really. But I probably could have figured out another way. Believe me,  _she_  was pissed off I did it."

"Kalista was angry with you making a pledge." Vivian deadpanned.

"Mhm," Krista nodded, "She literally left me and demanded to know why. Took her about five minutes before she accepted. I was bleeding out pretty badly."

She shook her head.

"It was kinda a mistake and I realize why she's so pissed at me for doing it even though we're a lot stronger now." She muttered, "Viv…it'll take a long while…but there's the potential I'll forget myself. That…I won't be me. I'll get absorbed into her and she'll forget me. That's what scares her, but I'm doing my best not to let that happen. She says it's a lot easier if there are those who remember me and help me not fall into my picked up habit. So…uh…"

Vivian gave a chuckle and put a hand on Krista's shoulder.

"I am still rather angry with you," she admitted, turning to face her, "But…"

She paused, staring at the Shadow Isles denizen. Krista frowned and looked back at her.

"Viv?" she blinked, "What's wrong? Forgive the pun, but you look like you've seen a gh-"

She stopped as Vivian picked up Krista's hand and held it before her face. It wasn't spectral and unearthly. It looked…human. Tanned skin replaced the spectral green and Krista's eyes turned not white but  _teal_.

She felt her face with the lightly tanned skin of her palms.

"I'm..." she gasped.

Her voice was no longer filled with echoes anymore. But her eyes, began to well with tears.

"I can breathe... I can feel...I'm myself again." Kalista stammered, standing, "I'm alive again…"

She started towards the road…but as soon as she let go of Vivian…

She collapsed to the ground, her features reverting to their spectral state. Vivian got up and came to her friend's side, noting with worry the stricken look on Krista's face.

"How…" Krista blinked, "What did you do?"

"…I honestly do not know," Vivian admitted, "Is she alright?"

"…She doesn't remember again," Krista said, "It's like as soon as you touched me all the souls went dormant and it was just me and Kalista, like when she was alive…the  _real_  Kalista. As soon as you let go though…they came back and she kinda sank back down. She's super confused as to what happened. Camille have some sort of magic we didn't know about?"

Vivian shook her head.

"I do not know what happened nor does Camille," came the reply, "This will be something we shall have to study further I think,"

Krista nodded, taking Vivian's hand to get up and watching in curiosity as the same transformation happened again.

"This…maybe Yorick would know?" she asked as her eyes went from grey to teal and Kalista finished, "Yes…Yorick would know. He knew me from before the Ruination. He brought me to the head of his order when I came to the Blessed Isles. He was the one who reminded me of my name,"

"I say we go and see him then, but tonight…" Vivian started, "I say tonight we go and enjoy ourselves, yes?"

Krista nodded.

"Let's."

* * *

The party went on long into the night, dancing, drinking and feasting was enjoyed by all the participants. Vi, Jayce, Yasuo, Gragas, Tryndamere, Olaf, Jarvan, Garen, Darius and Draven were all currently embroiled in a massive drinking contest. It didn't look like any of them were slowing down, though Vi was very much still quite sober.

"How are you not drunk yet?" Caitlyn demanded.

"Part of being a Project," Vi growled as she grabbed another cup and downed it, "I don't get drunk easily."

"Unfortunately," Yasuo huffed.

"An tha's why I made this," Gragas slurred, tossing a container of sorts to Vi and Yasuo both, catching the Projects off guard, "Caaaaleb told me y'd wanna get drunk, so I mighta made som'tin for ya,"

"Oh now I've got to try this,"

"VIOLET!" Caroline yelled, trying without success to stop Violet from downing the concoction…and failing.

"WOOOO that's got a kick!" Vi hollered, "I think I actually felt that!"

 _"I think we're in trouble…"_ Caroline muttered as Caitlyn crossed her arms.

"You  _think_?" she huffed as she watched her two coworkers get steadily more and more drunk.

"OI NERD!" Vi started, grabbing Jayce around the shoulders, "Let's go test out some of those new things you said you had lined up for me,"

"Like what?" a very nearly unconscious Jayce asked…only for Vi to grab his shirt and give him a kiss.

Caitlyn spat out her drink.

 _"Now_ that _was unexpected!"_  Caroline sputtered as Jayce blinked once, twice and then fell over backwards, blackout drunk.

"PILTOVER'S FINEST: 1, NERD BOY: 0!" Vi crowed, picking another cup up and drinking.

"Good heavens this is going to be a  _nightmare_ ," Caitlyn groaned.

* * *

The festivities went on, but as the night wore on, the bride and groom slipped away, ignoring the fireworks that bloomed in the sky, the roaring laughter from the guests, and the general merrymaking. They retreated to a quiet part of the temple, where the quarters for a certain Celestial were located. Pantheon carried Leona into the room, laying a kiss on her forehead as he sat her down.

"I shall be back," he told her and she nodded, watching as he went into a smaller washroom to the side.

Leona smiled softly as she took the flowers out of her hair and lay them on the window sill, watching the moonlight turn the golden blooms into silver. She unfastened the clasp on the back of her dress and let the fabric fall, exposing her tanned skin to the moonlit sky and the stars above. She touched the triangle scar at her throat, her enhanced touch feeling warm glass instead of skin and she shuddered.

She was not angry at Caleb, but Viktor she still harbored an angry fire. He ruined this for her. A day she had been waiting for her entire life…ruined because of a man's greed.

Pantheon came out of the washroom and stopped, staring at her. She was standing in front of the window, the moonlight playing in her scarlet hair. She turned back to face him, a soft embarrassed smile on her face. The scars of battles and of torment past speckled her tanned skin and seemed only elevated in the moonlight. A small frown crossed his face as he came closer to her.

"What?" she asked, her golden eyes confused, "I thought you'd be happy to see…"

"Leona, I want to see you," he told her.

"You are th-"

"The  _real_  you,"

The blood drained from her face as she gave a soft sound of confusion in a staticky language he didn't know. She shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Why," she repeated, a faint tremble going through her.

"Because if I'm going to do this, I don't want to have it with a mask between us," he said, cupping her face in his hands, "I want the hair the color of the stars, I want the strong arms that rival even the strongest of shields. I want Leona. Not some façade manufactured by a Piltovian's design of a distant memory. I want  _you_."

She was silent for a moment before touching the scarring at her chest. A wavering flicker washed over her. The scarring at her chest shifted, becoming a softly glowing triangle of golden glass. Her hair faded from scarlet to white, seeming to glow in the moonlight while her once bare arms became armored and powered by pistons and wire rather than flesh and blood. Her golden eyes lost the soft wet gleam and became warm glass lit from a mechanism within while golden glass and paint became known on her cheekbones.

"Much better," he told her, "Leona, I know you are going to get tired of me saying this, but until you understand I will not stop. I do not care what they did to you, or what you look like. I only care that you are you. That you are the kind, compassionate woman I fell in love with. That has not changed whatsoever. Therefore, my love for you has not changed. So, now that the charade has ended, let us enjoy this night. Shall we?"

She gave a soft smile and nodded, giving a yelp of surprise as he suddenly swooped down and swept her off her feet.

"P-Pantheon!" she sputtered as he gave a laugh and carried her over to the bed.

"I have been waiting for a very long time for this," he chuckled, "We both have."

He sat her down on the bed and gave her a passionate kiss, tasting metal but not caring. He breathed in her, her warm cinnamon and lilac and honey scent that fell on him and made his mind hazy. She leaned forwards and nipped at his ear.

"So have we," she purred into his ear as a low rumbling came from her chest, "And I  _will_  enjoy this,"

She came back to his face and kissed him, tangling her hands in his hair as she tasted him. That woodsmoke and leather scent that sent every sensor ablaze. Everything was thrown into hypersense, every flutter of breath, every slight movement. His hand traveled down the smooth plates that went down her spine and she let out a breathy moan as her kiss renewed its fire.

Leona pressed closer, wanting so badly to be closer to him, so close that she would disappear, enveloped into just him. She was on fire, so, so warm but she wanted to be warmer. She needed to be closer…her core thundered in her ears but she didn't care. She wanted him. Years and years of repressed want…

"I want…" she whispered as he kissed the base of her throat, making her tremble as a moan left her, "I want…"

"What do you want, my Sun?" Pantheon purred as he nipped the flesh between her neck and shoulder, making her gasp as her cheeks flared scarlet.

Her eyes flashed blue and gold as she grabbed him and flipped him over on the bed so that she was above him. She wrapped herself around him, moaning as she kissed him, passionately as he ran his hands down her back, her sides until they rested on her rear and she gave a shuddering cry.

"As you wish," he growled as he pulled her into his arms again.


End file.
